Do the stars align with the marketing strategies of global brands?

Marketing strategies of global brands have been analysed and imitated by many. But few have looked at the relationship between marketing success and astrology.

And yet – business founding charts, and the position of planets within them, may reveal more about world-renowned brands that we initially anticipate. Individual horoscopes may explain why one company can succeed with a particular strategy – while another fails to replicate its success.

The dominant archetype, for example, could tell us what activities a business should engage in to position itself in the market and resonate with customers.

But it is really that simple? And do the stars align with the marketing focus of global brands?

To answer this question, we’ll look at 30 companies and see if their marketing strategies align with the planet placements in their founding charts.

Dominant archetypes vs. marketing strategies of the 30 companies

Skip ahead to a particular company:

Bayerische Motoren Werke (BMW)

BMW was founded in 1916 as the Bayrische Flugzeug Werke (BFW), a manufacturer of aircraft propellers. Though its early market positioning was firmly in the aviation industry, the company soon undertook a series of acquisitions to enter new business domains. The purchase of the Fahrzeugfabrik Eisenach would mark the beginning of the automotive division that BMW is known for today.

BMW subsequently acquired multiple companies – including the Brandenburgische Motorenwerke and Hans Glas GmbH – to enter and expand in new markets.

The automakers’ mergers and acquisitions (M&A) strategy fits the strong Aries quality of the brand, which in its early days, focussed on raw engine power (“Kraftfahren”) to gain market share.

While the company expanded into the luxury car market in the 1930s, its Aries qualities were once again called upon when forced to adjust its product line in response to government restrictions. The classic Aries theme of survival through conquest was present in the decision to sell pots, pans and bicycles to remain operational in the aftermath of the second world war.

BMW’s early market positioning closely matches the Aries archetype, but since then its marketing strategy has expanded away from the core focus on power and technical supremacy.

For example, BMW’s slogan „the ultimate driving machine” still focusses on the Aries principles of speed and power, while the following taglines introduce more Leo-related qualities:

• “Lots of people drive a car. The sophisticated drive a BMW” (Auto fahren viele. BMW fahren Anspruchsvolle)
• “Sheer driving pleasure” (Freude am Fahren)
• and “BMW, a class of its own” (BMW, eine Klasse für sich)

Simply put, these taglines help BMW connect with its target audience in the luxury segment by tapping into the Leo energies of joy, celebration, royalty and status.

Additionally, BMW’s logo is shrouded in mystery – with there being a widespread myth that it was designed based on the rotation of aircraft propellers, rather than mirroring the flag of its home state of Bavaria. The mythical quality is represented by the Sun in Pisces placement in BMW’s horoscope.

BMW’s more recent, and perhaps most famous, advertising campaign “The Hire” also blends Pisces elements with brands’ classic Aries signature, by using film (Pisces) as a medium to transport messages of heroism (Aries) through speed and excellent mechanics (Aries).

Aries archetype in BMW’s marketing

• Mergers and acquisitions strategy for business development + pivot from aircraft turbine manufacturing to automotive (sales/marketing strategy focussed on unchartered terrain)
• Focus on power and technical supremacy in communications
• Product design: kidney grilles and angel-eye headlights
• Active in motorsports (Olympics) – competition as a marketing venue/stage

Other influences in BMW’s marketing

• Pisces – through use of film/DVD/commercials as a marketing channel + myth surrounding logo
• Leo – target audience in the luxury segment, status markers
• Aquarius – early market positioning in aviation industry, technical innovation/product

British Petroleum

1909 marked the beginning of The Anglo-Persian Oil company. The company sought to extract oil that William D’Arcy had discovered in Southern Persia the year prior. The business of oil extraction, is of course, a classic Aries domain. And negotiations with the British government and the Anglo-Persian’s pioneering role in supplying naval vessels during WWI reinforce the strong Aries archetype of the company.

But how, if at all, is the Aries archetype reflected in BP’s marketing? And what other energies can be seen?

As with BMW, BP’s sales and marketing strategy tapped into mergers and acquisitions. Anglo-Persion bought a distribution network in the UK through the purchase of the marketing arm of the Europäische Petroleum Union in 1917. The purchase gave the company instant access to railway tank wagons, road vehicles and horses, combining the strength and conquest of Aries with Gemini (astrologers: note the sextile between Sun/Venus in Aries and Pluto in Gemini). 

According to marketing executives, the company gave little attention to its brand in the early days (no placements in Leo or Libra), instead flying Union Jacks at its UK-based gasoline pumps to highlight its British heritage in its image (Neptune in Cancer theme)

Meanwhile, early commercials made references to superheroes (BP supermen campaign in the 1950s) or included sports people (a professional skater, pole vaulter and gymnast), both of which are classic Aries motifs.

The idea of movement was also explored in the “On the Move” campaign, which told a story about providing fuel for trains, planes and cars, while the focus on research-led innovation (Uranus in Capricorn) supplemented an underlying theme of heroism in a Steven Spielberg advert produced by the company behind Star Wars (Aries).

In contrast, the current BP logo has more of an Aquarius touch to it, bringing together multiple brands under one shell company. According to BP, it was designed as a “dramatic break with tradition” and used the sun as a representation of the great source of energy. The energy identity, the unification of groups, and the upheaval of tradition all typically Aquarius elements.

Aries archetype in BP’s marketing:

• Strong focus on mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures and government deals
• Communications leveraged sportsmen, superheroes and theme of fast-paced exploration

Other influences in BP marketing:

• Aquarius & Gemini: positioning as an innovator who breaks with tradition for transport sector
• Cancer: British patriotism embodied by gasoline pumps flying Union Jacks

McDonalds

The McDonalds brothers opened their first restaurant in San Bernardino, California in 1940. Ray Kroc, who was a travelling sales man, later bought the company and turned it into the fast-food giant that we know today.

Astrologically, the food industry in which McDonalds operates is a clear Taurus domain. But is this Taurus archetype also reflected in the company’s marketing strategy?

Yes. The company’s early marketing highlighted the affordability and value of its food offering. They used a simple, 15-item menu with clear prices, including a famous 15-cent hamburger, in line with the Taurus ideals. The company’s first TV commercial also promoted Taurus values like quality, practicality and value-for-money, claiming to offer “a total value that is unmatched anywhere”.

Another representation of the Taurus archetype was McDonalds’ mascot, Speedee, which portrayed a chef with a cook’s hat and a hamburger-shaped head.

Yet in 1967 the company adopted a new mascot, Ronald McDonald, a clown designed to appeal to younger children, marking a shift towards more Cancerian and Leo energy.

Over time, the company blended entertainment (Leo) for children (Cancer) with a focus on money or value (Taurus). This is reflected in its signature product, the “Happy Meal”, which offered a discount (Taurus) and promised joy (Leo). The company also developed a monopoly sweepstakes came (Leo), whereby participants could win cash prizes (Taurus), and the company’s pricing strategy today continues to leverage gift cards and discount codes (Taurus).

We might argue that the franchising model employed by McDonalds today, as well as its product localisation strategy (menu items adapted to local cuisine) are evidence of at least some Sagittarius influence too – though this is not confirmed by Sagittarius placements in McDonalds’ astrological chart. Instead, we find Jupiter (the planet ruling business expansion) in Aries, a clear reference to the company’s growth in new markets.

For the better part of previous century, McDonalds marketed its products directly to children and to some extent continues to do so today. Children’s music in commercials, bright-coloured packaging and the sale of McDonalds exclusive toys would all seem to hint a stronger a Cancerian placement than I have found.

This does however, become clear, when we look beyond the dominant energy (Taurus) in the McDonald’s horoscope, to consider the interrelations between Taurus and Cancerian energies. Here, we find Venus in Cancer, with a sextile to both Moon in Virgo and Saturn in Taurus, suggesting mutual reinforcement of Taurus and Cancerian energy.

Taurus archetype in McDonald’s marketing

• Promising value-for-money and affordable products
• Pricing strategy based on gift cards and discounts
• Mascot focussed on cooking

Other influences in McDonald’s marketing

• Cancer: children as a target audience
• Leo: focus on joy and happiness in communications (from the slogan “I’m loving it” to games and music for product promotion)
• Libra: logo inspired by iconic Double Arch design that used to dominate McDonalds’ restaurant rooftops

Amazon

Amazon was founded by Jeff Bezos in 1994 under the name “Cadabra”. While the name was soon changed to Amazon, because it sounded too much like “cadaver”, cadabra is the Amaraic equivalent of “kedoobar”, meaning “as was spoken”.

Speech or communication is a clear Gemini theme, that featured both in the original name, as well as the company’s current word mark “Amazon”. Amazon was allegedly chosen as the new company name, because it would feature prominently among the then-alphabetical website listings. This practical approach to business naming is a hallmark of the Gemini archetype.

Beyond Amazon’s business name, the Gemini archetype also features in its communications, which consistently highlight the speed of delivery, free shipping and a wide product range.

In their 2008 SEC filing the company writes that they seek to earn repeat purchases through “easy-to-use functionality, fast and reliable fulfilment, timely customer service, feature-rich content and a trusted transaction environment.”

And indeed, the company, while not doing content marketing in the traditional sense allows merchants to provide some of the most in-depth information on the products available through the online store.

Their Christmas advertising campaign of 1999, meanwhile consisted in a series of commercials on the company’s multi-product offering, and the convenience of online shopping (“it only took two minutes, I didn’t have to leave the house”). The focus on features and benefits in the marketing communications is reminiscent of the Gemini archetype, yet the cheery music and toy commercials would suggest some Cancerian and Leo influence. 

Nonetheless, Amazon’s omnichannel approach– spanning online marketing, sponsored search, portal advertising, TV, outdoor and email campaigns – suggests a Gemini influence on customer acquisition. In the early days, the company did however, focus more on affiliate links and loyalty programs for driving purchases.

The transactional nature of affiliate marketing may be associated with the Gemini archetype, though the commission-based side of such programs could also hint at a Scorpio influence. And indeed, we find both Jupiter (symbol of expansion) and Pluto (symbol of dogma and beliefs) in Scorpio (shared finance) in Amazon’s chart.

The company’s aptly named loyalty programme “Prime” also combines the Scorpio idea of customer retention with the idea of market leadership (Leo) through efficient order fulfilment (Gemini).

Gemini archetype in Amazon’s marketing

• Promising easy purchasing process and fast delivery
• In-depth product information provided through the Amazon website
• Product range spanning e-commerce, online cloud services and entertainment among others
• Many different marketing channels used customer acquisition

Other influences in Amazon’s marketing

• Cancer/Leo: Cheery music and toys in Sweater men commercials (1999)
• Scorpio: Focus on customer loyalty and retention (e.g. Prime) and acquisition through commission-based affiliate marketing

IBM

IBM was founded in 1911 as part of a merger of a Tabulating Machine Company, and the International Time Recording Company, which sold a wide range of machinery, including commercial scales, time records, tabulators and punch cards.

The wide product portfolio focussed on practical business utility has since expanded and adapted to modern technology and nicely fits the Gemini qualities of the brand.

While much of the company’s early growth has been attributed to its trained sales force (Mars in Aries Sextile Mercury in Gemini), it did retain an agency “to promote a strong national image” before and during the Second World War, as it sold its products primarily to government and research projects (Uranus in Capricorn).

However, in the 1950s, the company hired a marketing agency (Scorpio) to advertise its electric typewriters in consumer, business and women’s publications. Advertising across a range of publications (Scorpio and Gemini), supposedly helped IBM become a global leader in typewriter sales, despite a lack of broadcast advertising (Pisces).

IBM’s commercials consistently highlight Gemini values of functionality, practical utility and the power of communication or information networks. This can be seen the first voice recognition system promoted for its “business vocabulary of 1000 words” or the Selectric typewriter that claimed to have an “ingenious printing element to type faster than the eye can see.” However, here the Gemini principles of functionality are supported by the Aquarian theme of innovation in the product domain.

When IBM launched its personal computer in the 1980s, it once again paired the Gemini and Aquarius archetypes (functionality and progress) in its Charlie Chaplin commercial that branded the company as a “tool for modern times.” While one might argue that the Gemini archetype dominates the ads – due to the focus on speed, movement and practical applications such as bookkeeping, letter-writing or inventory management – the comedic and entertaining nature of the ad, and its setting in a home, also draws attention Cancerian and Leo influences in the company’s founding chart.

Gemini archetype in IBM’s marketing:

• Early focus on education of sales force to drive growth
• Wide product portfolio designed for functional business utility
• Feature-driven advertising
• Slogan and business philosophy THINK: “I didn’t think has cost the world millions”
• Functional logo featuring horizontal lines as though created by a printer lends the company a mechanical touch

Other influences in IBM’s marketing:

• Leo: comedic entertainment through characters like “Little Tramp”
• Cancer: focus on home business
• Scorpio: strong support from external marketing agencies
• Aquarius: communications around technological innovation

Ford Motor Company

The Ford Motor Company was founded on June 16th 1903, when Henry Ford used investor money to open his first manufacturing facility in Detroit. Henry Ford had previously developed the first quadricycle and worked for another automotive company in Detroit – which would later become the Cadillac Motor Company.

Ford’s first success came with the assembly line production of the Model T, which allowed Ford to sell its products at a significantly lower price than the competition. In the early days, Henry Ford believed that good products would advertise themselves, so few attempts were made to push the car into the market.

This product-driven view of marketing wasn’t uncommon at the time, and nicely fits with Ford’s emphasis on functionality (a clear Gemini theme).

For the launch of its next car, the Model A, Ford would run full-page advertisements across nearly 2000 national newspapers – after over a year of silence from the brand. The stark contrast between a lack of news and the 1.5-million-dollar campaign that followed do suggest that communication was used to share information and facilitate the distribution of the new model – both of which would fit the Gemini archetype.

Through its large network of dealers – many of whom posted local ads tailored to their community – Ford not only attracted large crowds but also added an extra distribution channel to its sales process.

The automakers’ multichannel advertising, strong distribution network, as well as its multi-product offering (Ford manufactured aircraft and military products alongside cars), are all hallmarks of a Gemini-centred business strategy.

In addition, the Gemini theme of mobility was at the forefront of many 1950s and 1960s television commercials. For example, the “two Fords” car commercial, told the story of a woman who ‘was practically a prisoner in her own home’, as she lived in the suburbs and her husband needed the car for business. Until they bought a new Ford – allowing her to drive in her own car and go see friends.

Meanwhile, other commercials of the time, such as “Floating on Air”, prioritised features such as a quiet engine and a colourful instrument panel (Gemini) alongside the safety and comfort of the cars. The promotion of a new lifeguard body to protect drivers is a good example of this Cancerian influence.

Meanwhile, a more notable part of Ford’s recent marketing history was Ford Fiesta Movement. For this campaign, Ford recruited 100 drivers with a large social media following to drive the new Ford Fiesta for free for 6 months and encouraged them to post about their experience with the new model.

The strong focus on social networks and the name of the campaign (Fiesta movement) both match the Gemini archetype seen in the company’s founding chart.

Apart from this campaign, Ford uses a diverse range of marketing channels – spanning long term partnerships with UEFA champions league and Amazon, a certified program for resale of used Ford cars, a loyalty program and a strong dealership network in addition to its online presence. This omnichannel marketing strategy completes the picture of the Gemini-driven brand and automotive company.

Gemini archetype in Ford’s marketing:

• Wide range of marketing channels (TV, online, social media, brand partnerships, etc.)
• Strong promotion and distribution network consisting in local dealerships and social media influencers
• Communications around functional benefits of products
• Product diversification (including low-cost cars, SUVs, trucks, aviation and military products)

Other influences in Ford’s marketing:

• Cancer: themes of safety, family and comfort in early ads
• Aries: performance demonstrations at race car driving events such as Le Man’s, Nascar and Formula I
• Libra: brand partnerships with UEFA and Amazon

Coinbase

Coinbase was founded by former engineer Brian Armstrong and Goldman Sachs trader, Fred Ehrsam on June 20^th, 2012. It is one of the largest cryptocurrency exchanges and seeks to make trading crypto accessible to a large, global user base.

Now, you might expect Coinbase’s horoscope to have a strong Aquarius focus due to the industry in which it operates, but its founding chart emphasises a Gemini theme instead. Is that theme also leading in the company’s marketing? Let’s take a look.

Coinbase uses a wide variety of formats – from fireside chats with industry experts and product tutorials to in-depth video market analyses, commercials and a corporate blog to market its services.

This multi-channel marketing strategy would fit the Gemini theme – as would the earn-as-you-learn program, which focusses on crypto education through a series of crash courses and video tutorials.

While the company only started advertising in 2021 – 10 years after it was founded, Coinbase’s commercials tap into traditional Gemini values like movement, logistics and education.

Coinbase’s recent “Thank you” campaign, for example, thanks bitcoin miners for “moving money forward, one block at a time”, while the “it’s time to update the system” campaign focusses on the speed of cross-border financial transactions and financial literacy.

That said, Coinbase’s super bowl commercial of 2022 arguably explored less of a Gemini theme. The ad consisted in a QR code that ricocheted against the sides of a frame, and upon being scanned, would redirect people to the Coinbase website. Thereby, the ad did emphasise the functional experience and direct consumer access – both of which fit the Gemini archetype – but arguably that Gemini theme was enabled through relative new technology (Aquarius).

One might argue that the content and functional marketing approach is quite fitting for a Gemini-based brand, however, a case could be made that Aquarius energy is almost equally pronounced thanks to a strong focus on novel technology (QR codes, tokenised marketing, Web3) and early plans to create interoperable experiences with other brands.

After all, Kate Rouch, Chief Marketing Officer at Coinbase, said that the company was looking to create new ways to communicate directly with customers in the online and offline realm, through crypto-based technologies instead of borrowed endorsements. The marketing strategy has included using NFTs to token-gate and thereby provide exclusive access to events, as well as other Web3 partnerships. The latter approach matches the placement of retrograde Saturn in Libra in Coinbase’s natal chart.

Another interesting feature of Coinbase’s founding chart is the lack of placements in both Taurus and Scorpio. This is because the gap is just as evident in the company’s marketing strategy as its strong Gemini signature. Not only did Coinbase wait to run national advertisements until it reached a reasonable level of maturity and avoid relying on borrowed endorsements (no placements in Scorpio), but leaders also acknowledged in interviews that the company did not have ‘the budget to pay for work that’s going to be seen.’

Gemini archetype in Coinbase’s marketing:

• Multi-channel marketing strategy
• Focus on functional benefits (e.g. ease of use, speed, knowledge) in communications
• Education as a core strategy for customer acquisition and retention

Other influences in Coinbase’s marketing:

• Aquarius: using new technologies (e.g. QR codes, NFTs, tokens, etc)
• Libra-Capricorn: exclusive events for loyal customers

Tesla

Tesla was incorporated by Martin Eberhard and Marc Tarpenning on July 1, 2003. The company received funding from current CEO and investor, Elon Musk, and has since become one of the largest manufacturers of electric vehicles across the globe.

In its marketing, the company highlights Cancerian values such as safety, comfort and a familial atmosphere. A promotional video about The Tesla Roadster saw existing Tesla drivers speak about the ease of charging at home, not having to worry about ‘fluids dripping on the garage floor’, the quietness of the car and the low need for maintenance.

Similarly, a more recent video highlighted the benefits of autosteering in keeping a mother and her young kids safe on the roads, thereby suggesting that innovative technology (an Aquarian theme) ensures peace of mind (Cancerian energy). This is arguably represented in Tesla’s horoscope through a trine between Uranus and the stellium (Sun/Mercury/Saturn) in Cancer.

Many of Tesla’s videos also speak directly to viewers’ emotions, painting a picture of the car cruising through the countryside while the driver could still hear the sound of the ocean and the birds chirping. Yet the automaker also taps into the Pisces domain of multimedia, using stunning photography to complement its Cancerian energy.

The strong reliance on word-of-mouth for its marketing also fits the Cancerian theme, as does the direct sales strategy, which allows Tesla to build a 1:1 relationship with customers without interference from intermediaries, including franchised dealerships. By combining sales with customer service, the automaker also seeks to provide a superior customer experience, which is arguably an apt characteristic for a Cancerian brand.

But perhaps the strongest case for a strong Cancerian energy is that Tesla long avoided traditional advertisements (Scorpio), focussing instead on a positive driving experience and emotional appeals in its messaging.

The company also created a buzz around technical innovations to promote its vehicles. A good example of this is Tesla’s Dog Mode feature, which allows owners to leave their dog inside the car while shopping, because the car maintains a constant temperature and lets people know that the pet is safe inside the vehicle. In doing so, the automaker creates a family-friendly image against the backdrop technology, thereby also tapping into its Aquarius energy.

Meanwhile, in its public relations efforts, Tesla harnesses the Pisces archetype, by attaching many product and event photos to their press releases for media to use and distribute.

As a result, Tesla’s overall branding clearly leans towards the Cancerian and Aquarius archetypes with some Pisces energy thrown into the mix. On the pricing front, however, the car manufacturer leans towards more a flexible, Gemini-based strategy, which involves adjusting its price to match production with demand all while positioning itself in the mid-range segment (based on average automotive prices in the US.). This corresponds with the placement of Venus in Gemini in Tesla’s founding chart.

Cancerian archetype in Tesla’s marketing:

• Focus on safety, comfort and family in branding
• Emotional messaging and appeals
• Waitlists used for lead nurturing

Other influences in Tesla’s marketing:

• Aquarius: strong focus on novel technology
• Gemini: variable, market-dependent pricing strategy
• Pisces: focus on multimedia and videography
• Leo-Aquarius: humour used in “ticket avoidance mode” video

Walmart

Sam Walton opened the first Walmart store in Rogers, Arkansas on July 2, 1962. Since then, the company has become one the largest multinational retailers, operating grocery stores in around 20 countries.

On the marketing front, Walmart’s earliest advertisement promised discount prices, free door prizes and savings on common goods. Based on this you might think of Walmart as a Taurus brand, but the company’s founding chart shows Cancer as the dominant archetype.

Even though discount pricing (Taurus) has clearly been a strategic advantage for Walmart, low prices were promoted to customers as a way to improve their living standard, which is consistent with the Cancerian archetype.

You can see this in the Rollback Commercial from 1998, where Walmart announced: “We’re rolling back prices all over the place, just look for the happy face”, and used emoji icons to reinforce this message. A few years ago, Walmart picked up on rollback pricing theme again, but added an entertaining spin (Cancer/Leo energy) with a cheerful and emotional song that saw an a cappella group dance in the stores to the “Walmart Shuffle”.

The Cancerian energy is also evident in the many community initiatives Walmart talks about– from Black & Unlimited to its Spark Good initiative, fundraisers and loyalty programs. 

Another expression of this Cancerian and Leo energy is the requirement that employees, especially cashiers, smile at customer during check-out to create a hospital atmosphere and make shoppers feel at home in the stores.

This shows that Cancerian theme is clearly expressed in Walmart’s marketing, but considered their pricing strategy and its prominent promotion, I am surprised to see so little Taurus energy reflected Walmart’s founding chart.

Cancerian archetype in Walmart’s marketing:

• Focus on customer happiness and a pleasant shopping atmosphere
• Strong focus on building emotional connections with specific communities

Other influences in Walmart’s marketing:

• Taurus: discount pricing strategy
• Leo: commercials with entertainment value such as the Walmart Shuffle
• Scorpio: loyalty programme

Lego

Lego was founded on August 10, 1932 in Billund, Denmark by Ole Kirk Kristiansen. The brand name comes from the Danish expression “Leg Godt”, which means to play well, and is the first hint at the dominant Leo archetype of the brand.

Early Lego advertisements also used bright colours and, later uplifting music, to entertain the brand’s target audience: children. We can see this in the 1955 advertisement that introduced Lego to the American market. The commercial directly addressed kids with a catchy song and lyrics like: “This young boy has such fun. He uses Lego one by one”.

The focus on children (Cancer) and entertainment (Leo) in these commercials fits the brand, as it has a Leo archetype and strong Cancerian influence. That said, you may also see some Taurus and Pisces energy in Lego’s communication, which promises children ‘a whole new world to build’ and tells parents that Lego can ‘make anything your child’s mind imagines’.

Still, the brand attracts most of its attention thanks to an entertainment philosophy. While Lego already operates in a classic Leo domain (toys), the toy manufacturer firmly established itself in the entertainment business with its Legoland theme parks. These sites are more than just a marketing ploy for Lego sets – they’re an additional source of income and a place for many families to enjoy (Sun in Leo).

Besides its theme park, Lego connects with the young demographic through the Lego magazine, a brochure with puzzles, games and stories about Lego characters that they send to children’s homes free of charge up to five times a year. The colourful drawings and playful content line up perfectly with Lego’s Leo archetype.

Another facet of Lego’s marketing is its LEGO Ideas project, which allows fans to submit ideas (Aquarius) for new product lines (Aries) and participate in challenges (Aries). Astrologically, the crowdsourcing of new products does not correspond to the Leo archetype, but seems to be more of an expression of Uranus in Aries in Lego’s founding chart.

Nonetheless, LEGO remains a strong Leo-based brand, as even the site design for LEGO ideas remains particularly colourful and playful.

Leo archetype in LEGO’s marketing:

• Entertaining messaging in commercials and the Lego magazine
• Own theme park business
• Market leadership in the toy industry (based on brand value)

Other influences in LEGO’s marketing:

• Taurus: the idea of building/construction
• Cancer: primary target audience is children
• Aries: customer engagement through challenges and Lego ideas programme
• Leo-Pisces: focus on imaginative play and creativity

Google

Google was officially incorporated September 4, 1998 in Menlo Park, California and has since become the largest search engine around the globe. The company also developed a whole suite of online communications and marketing tools, including an e-mail system, data warehousing, and advertising product suite.

From an astrological perspective, we can work with two different founding charts for Google, the first being the domain registration (September 15, 1997) and the second its date of incorporation (September 4, 1998). What is interesting here, is that the former has a strong Leo archetype with some Virgo energy thrown into the mix, while the latter has Virgo as the dominant archetype, complemented by strong Scorpio influence.

Based on this, I would expect to see some Virgo influence in Google’s marketing strategy, with either Scorpio or Leo energy as well. But before we jump to conclusions – let’s look at how Google actually markets its services.

In its early years, the search engine division spent little money on marketing, preferring instead to rely on word-of-mouth, public relations and partnerships to drive its growth. In their 2004 SEC filing, the company wrote that the used public relations efforts to accelerate the word-of-mouth momentum, which would correspond to Scorpio energy.

The company also mentioned that they only promote products when they become successful, ‘preferring to test them until they achieve broad acceptance’. According to Marissa Mayer, an early Google employee, the search engine ran experiments where they increased the number of search results per page in response to user feedback, and discovered that traffic and revenue dropped by 20% as the extra page load time killed user satisfaction. The extensive testing and market research before rolling out and promoting products corresponds with a Virgo archetype.

In addition to its market research, Google scored deals to power search for Netscape and Yahoo thanks to board-level relationships and a Series A investment from the companies. It benefitted from the deals in two ways: (1) through significant revenue from the most popular browser and web portal, and (2) increased visibility to Internet users. The close relationship with two market leaders could correspond to the position of Venus in Scorpio in Google’s domain registration chart. Other expressions of this position would the sponsorship of industry conferences, and targeted marketing efforts for Google Network members.

That said, a strong case can be also made for the Leo archetype in Google’s date of incorporation chart, however, this seems to apply not so much to the search engine but more to the products later developed under the Google brand. After all, the company writes in its 2013 annual report that they believe ‘building a trusted, highly recognised brand begins with providing high-quality products and services’ and that their marketing seeks to promote Google’s brand image.

And indeed, the company attained a leadership position in the online advertising space (with its AdWords and Analytics products), and positioned itself as a leader in search by compiling a list of leading search queries in its 25-year history in a YouTube promotion.

Leo energy in Google’s marketing:

• Positioning at as a market leader (from top website of 1998 to around 80% market share in search)
• Focus on brand image

Virgo archetype in Google’s marketing:

• Early emphasis on analytics and performance measurement (e.g. speed tests)
• Market research and product quality prioritised over promotion

Other influences:

• Scorpio: public relations and advertising spending, early growth funded by investors

United Postal Service (UPS)

On August 28, 1907, Claude Ryan and Jim Casey started the American Messenger Company, which was renamed UPS in 1908. Since then, UPS has become a leading package delivery company worldwide.

But does UPS’s business strategy focus on market leadership, brand building or other Leo-typical marketing endeavour?

If you consider the company’s 1970s slogan you might be inclined to respond with a quick “no”. After all, promising the “best service and lowest rates” does not match the Leo archetype. Instead, it seems to embody the quality of service (Virgo) and inexpensive rates (Taurus) – which, while not fitting the Leo archetype of self-presentation, does correspond with the position of the Sun (in Virgo) and the Moon (in Taurus) in UPS’s founding chart.

While the company’s slogan changed to:

• “The tightest ship in the shipping business” (1980s)
• “The package delivery company more companies count on” (early 1990s)
• “Moving at the speed of business” (mid 1990s)

neither of these taglines emphasises the Leo archetype, focussing instead on the ideas of reliability (Taurus/Virgo), speed (Aries) and logistics (Gemini). We also see these themes in UPS’s 1986 commercial, which saw company wash its planes obsessively, because they like them clean (Virgo) and it supposedly saves them jet fuel (Taurus).

Even more recent campaigns, such as “We love logistics” emphasise Virgo values such as precision and environmental consciousness, with the only trace of Leo energy being the catchy song to which the message is said. This shows that Leo values are not a core feature of UPS’s core brand communications.

That said, the company has still managed to secure a leadership role in the logistics industry, and was recognised as Fortune magazine’s most admired transportation company in the mail, package and freight category for at least 17 consecutive years (according to its 2000 SEC filing). They also claim to have built strong brand equity (Leo) through quality service (Virgo) and were rated as the second strongest business-to-business brand in the US in a survey conducted among business executives in 2000.

While market leadership and brand building are indeed strong indicators of a Leo archetype, it is interesting that the Virgo qualities (such as service and attention to detail) are still the driving force behind these endeavours.

This could be down to the fact that Mercury (the ruler of Virgo) is Leo, while the Sun (the ruler of Leo) is in Virgo, creating a self-reinforcing loop between Leo and Virgo qualities.

UPS itself also recognises the interrelationship between Virgo and Leo energies in its 2004 SEC filing, citing quality, reliability and professional courtesy of drivers as ‘major contributors’ to their brand equity.

They also go on to explain that UPS’s marketing team primarily focusses on market and customer research (Virgo), brand management (Leo), rate-making and revenue management (Taurus). This internal marketing focus would fit the conjunction of the Sun (ruler of Leo), Mercury (ruler of Virgo and Gemini) and Venus (ruler of Taurus and Libra) in UPS’s founding chart.

Despite, or perhaps because of, this clear connection between Virgo, Leo and Taurus, I would posit that UPS’s chart somewhat challenges my earlier hypothesis that a dominant sign points to a marketing strategy characteristic of the values and nature of that sign. UPS seems to exude so much Virgo energy that this might raise the question, whether it is indeed the dominant sign – or perhaps the position of the Sun – that determines a company’s optimal marketing strategy.

After all, out of all the companies we have looked at so far, UPS has been just one of a handful companies, where the Sun was positioned in a sign that was not considered dominant. The other companies, where this was the case included BMW (Aries dominant, with Sun in Pisces), Amazon (Gemini dominant, with Sun in Cancer), Google (Leo or Virgo dominant, with Sun in Virgo). But more on that here.

Leo influence in UPS’s marketing:

• Strong brand equity and market leadership position

Virgo archetype in UPS’s marketing:

• Focus on market research in internal marketing strategy
• Virgo values such as service quality, reliability, cleanliness, precision and environmental consciousness transmitted in corporate communications
• Detailed data analytics around customer satisfaction based on 17 key service factors gathered through daily telephone interviews with shipping decision makers

Other influences in UPS’ marketing:

• Taurus: Low prices as a competitive advantage and rate-making is considered a marketing activity
• Cancer: familiar brown delivery vehicles and professional employees

Sony

Sony was founded on May 7, 1946 as a small electronics shop in Tokyo and has become one of the largest Japanese manufacturers of video, audio, computing and entertainment technologies. Besides its core electronic and entertainment offering, Sony Group is also active in a number of business areas such as banking, insurance and chemicals.

Sony’s marketing varies with the product in question – with many products marketed under their own brands, including the PlayStation, the Walkman and more recently, Xperia mobile phones. The use on individual brands nicely fits the company’s Leo archetype.

The same might be said for the Sony brand, which was promoted with the catchphrase: “Sony – a worldwide brand born in Japan”.

Sony’s mascot “Atchan”, which was designed by cartoonist to promote the company’s TR-6 Transistor Radio in 1956 also exhibits strong Leo qualities. Atchan was a handsome young boy with admirable character and personality, and leadership potential. The “sonny boy” character has since lent its name to the global Sony brand and helped the company present itself on an international stage.

However, alongside the leadership potential exhibited by “Sonny Boy”, the company’s slogan “research makes the difference” also adds a Virgo flavour to the current brand positioning.

We also see Gemini-like influence in Sony’s marketing strategy, as the company promotes is products to a large range of potential customers. These include third-party distributors, wholesalers, manufacturers and direct consumers. The omnichannel distribution strategy, as well as its diverse product offering, corresponds the strong Gemini energy in the company’s founding chart.

On a more strategic side, it is worth mentioning Sony’s advertising staff were always involved in product planning – such that the marketing slogans and advertising strategies were created in tandem with the products themselves. This corresponds to Uranus in Gemini (invention of new technologies) trine Jupiter in Libra (focus on aesthetics and presentation) in the company’s founding chart.

The company also has a history of using price skimming and premium pricing strategies for new products where it has a competitive advantage – as seen with the introduction of high-definition television and the Walkman. This is captured by the Sun in Taurus in Sony’s founding chart.

Leo archetype in Sony’s marketing:

• Brand name Sony and mascot as an allusion to Sonny boy
• Many consumer products marketed under their own brands
• Positioning as a global brand in Sony’s slogans

Other influences in Sony’s marketing:

• Gemini: diverse distribution network
• Virgo: focus on research and product planning
• Taurus: premium pricing strategy

AirBnB

Former schoolmates Brian Chesky and Joe Gebbia officially launched the AirBnB marketplace on 11 August 2008 to provide home-stays consisting in bed and breakfast.

In the early days, the founders developed close relationships with their hosts, helping them take high-quality images of their properties and create unforgettable homestay experiences.

The focus on presentation and life-long memories would have been quite fitting for a Leo brand. As would AirBnB’s first logo, which spelled out the company name in a playful font. However, a close look at the company’s founding chart reveals that Virgo is indeed the dominant archetype (despite a Sun in Leo placement).

Now we might observe that AirBnB’s current logo, the Beló is much cleaner, and more in sync with the Virgo energy than the previous logo design. However, the primary message behind the new brand is – supposedly – that you can belong anywhere. This would be a fitting expression of the Moon in Sagittarius (sense of belonging in foreign places to which you can travel and feel at home).

With this Sagittarius and Leo influence, it comes to mind that the Virgo archetype is not prominent in the company’s core brand. However, we do see Virgo themes in other marketing materials, most notably, commercials.

For example, the homestay company’s first TV ad followed a paper plane on the journey across the world – including being recycled (Virgo). The ad was created from crowdsourced Vine videos and was meticulously edited by a team of marketing staff.

The company’s “Welcome to AirBnB” advertisement is perhaps an even clearer embodiment of the Virgo archetype, as it required meticulous attention to detail and diligence to create the 85m² set for filming. According to AirBnB’s marketing team, shooting the video was time-consuming, as the set was hand-made, people had to rehearse coordinating up to 9 things at once, and it took them 85 tries to get one perfect shot.” The focus on perfection, little details and organisation are all classic Virgo themes.

Even so, a look into AirBnB’s recent SEC filings suggests that Leo energy may be just as important in the homestay company’s marketing efforts.

The company writes that their marketing strategy includes brand marketing (Leo), communications (Gemini) and performance marketing (Virgo). Apparently, the company’s web traffic mainly comes from paid advertisements on social media and search engines, as well as search engine optimisation and brand marketing.

While the prominence of listings in response to search queries used to be an important driver of traffic, the company has become less reliant on search engines over time, in part thanks to the strength of their brand (Leo).

In line with this, AirBnB also realigned their organisation priorities, focussing more on individual hosts and brand marketing while reducing investment in paid, performance-based channels.

In a recent interview with the Wall Street Journal, company leaders said that over 90% of traffic now comes to the platform directly, and performance marketing has become more of a way to balance supply and demand for specific locations or rentals.

The shift to a more Leo-rich brand also fits the new product “AirBnB Icons”, which allows customers to book exclusive and extra-ordinary experiences hosted by the greatest names in the entertainment world.

It almost seems as though the Virgo archetype is an enabler for a strong customer-facing Leo-brand. And the attention to detail from the company’s marketing team has perhaps allowed AirBnB to build a more public Leo persona.

Leo influences in AirBnB’s marketing strategy:

• Strong AirBnB brand
• Focus on visual presentation of rental properties and guest experiences

Virgo influence in AirBnB’s marketing strategy:

• Emphasis on search engine optimisation and performance marketing
• Meticulous attention to detail and focus on perfection in advertising campaigns

Toyota

Toyota was founded by Kiichiro Toyoda and incorporated on August 28, 1937 in Aichi, Japan. The company has become the largest automobile manufacturer in the world, after first introducing the first passenger vehicles in its home country and then entering foreign markets.

Its domestic and international success stems in part from a strong commitment to monozukuri, or quality manufacturing, which fits the Virgo archetype, as well as its distinctive marketing strategy.

The company’s earliest promotions often took the form of public contests or competitions. Not only did the automaker place classified ads in major newspapers to solicit designs for its logo, but it also encouraged the Japanese public to compose songs for an automobile convey and develop the mascot for a mid-sized passenger car in commemoration of the 2,600-year anniversary of the first Japanese emperor’s reign.

The strong focus on events might (at first sight) hint at Libra energy in Toyota’s founding chart, but no planetary placements in Libra can be found. Instead, the competitive nature of these contests is more accurately reflected in the opposition between Saturn in Aries (intense competition) and Mercury in Virgo (in and around communication). 

The Mercury in Virgo placement also highlights the importance of deliberate and meticulous communication for the Toyota brand. After all, the company has paid great attention to the naming of its passenger cars, with “Lexus”, “Corona” “Camry” and “Supra”, for example, being wordplays and references to luxury, crowns, royalty and quality.

However, the company’s opening of a driving school to increase the number of driver’s licence holders exudes more of an Aries energy as exhibited by Mars in Sagittarius in the company’s chart. 

Meanwhile, the company’s ads, seem to portray a mix of Taurus, Sagittarius and Virgo energy. Taurus energy, for example, is evident in the company’s 1971 commercial for the Toyota Corona. The ads main message is that Toyota “didn’t switch over to economy cars, but that’s all [they] ever built” – thereby hinting at the affordability of their vehicles.

In contrast, their 1960s commercial for the Land Rover claims “Toyota goes where wheels never went before” and “there’s no stopping a Toyota”, suggesting that this car model leans into the company’s Sagittarius energy and reaches a different demographic.

The same could be said for the more recent “Have you ever seen a broken-down Toyota” commercial, which leans into the Virgo archetype to appeal to a demographic that values the quality and longevity of a car. Another facet of the Virgo theme – namely diligence – is highlighted in the commercial “The Book” for the Toyota Corolla, which sees a young man showing up at the company’s office each day to give a coffee to the first person on the parking lot. The implied message is that anyone can drive a Toyota Corolla, whether they are the intern or CEO, and that it is a good car for those who aspire to reach the next rungs of the corporate ladder.

In addition to the advertisements, we can also observe Virgo and Cancer energy in the company’s mission statement and marketing strategy as described in their annual report. According to the filings, Toyota seeks to “produce happiness for all” and “work towards a future of convenience”. These two qualities are connected in the company’s founding chart through a harmonious Sextile between Mercury in Virgo and Venus/Pluto in Cancer.

Thus, Toyota clearly has a strong Virgo archetype, with some Aries, Taurus, Cancer and Sagittarius energy thrown into the marketing mix.

Virgo archetype in Toyota’s marketing:

• Attention to detail in product names
• Focus on quality and longevity of vehicles, and diligence among people

Other influences in Toyota’s marketing

• Aries: use of competitions/contests for marketing purposes
• Cancer: messaging surrounding happiness
• Leo: Leo-related product names
• Libra: strong focus on event marketing

Netflix

Netflix was founded on August 29, 1997 by Marc Randolph and Reed Hastings as a DVD rental company and first entered the market for online movies ten years later, on January 16, 2007. Since then, Netflix has become one of the largest streaming platforms worldwide, with several hundreds of millions of users, and a producer of original shows.

The company’s early marketing strategy involved sending big, red-ticket envelopes to households with free DVD rentals and a coupon for a new DVD player that could be redeemed at the local video store. The envelopes were designed to look like the red movie tickets used by theatres, and helped consumer electronics stores reduce returns while allowing Netflix to gain traction.

Netflix sought out partnerships – and despite failing to secure one with Blockbuster – the company’s focus on mutually beneficial relationship is represented by Venus in Libra in the brand’s founding chart. The same can be said for the aesthetics and presentation of products, as reflected in the design of the promotional envelopes.  

That said, word-of-mouth was by far the number one of driver for growth, according to former Netflix marketing executive Barry Enderwick. Barry explained that they would encourage customers to tell friends and family about the mail rental option via twice a year email and ad campaigns. And indeed, in Netflix’s founding chart – we see a strong retrograde Mercury conjunct Sun in the dominant archetype, Virgo.

But more so than effective communications, the company seems to have benefitted from consistent improvement and market research over the years. Not only did they experiment with the best position for coupons in consumer electronics stores (e.g. in the DVD tray or the top of the box), but since the launch of their streaming platform they have consistently attempted to increase viewership through data-driven decision making, a classic Virgo-theme.

For example, they recently ran a signup funnel experiment to test whether adding new payment methods would increase total conversions or cannibalise conversions from other payment methods. The company also analyses user data to personalise the viewing experience with unique artwork, trailers and synopsis to help viewers make a watch decision.

In fact, Netflix has built an extensive archive with the latest insights around its market research, analytics and testing, and even built an AI-based video search engine help its creative teams find specific movie scenes for promotion on social media and in brand campaigns.

In doing so, the company’s marketing clearly embodies the Virgo archetype, though traces of Leo, Libra and Scorpio energy may also be observed.

For example, Netflix invested heavily in branded TV commercials in the early 2000s, claiming that there was better way to rent movies, on a Netflix subscription for around 20 bucks a month. The commercials did not, however, do much for growth, according to Barry Enderwick, suggesting that despite some Leo and Scorpio energy in the company’s founding chart, it was not sufficiently strong to prove effective in the context of the company’s marketing strategy.

That said, we do see the Leo energy expressed in the new Netflix Houses, which will provide guests with immersive experiences based on popular Netflix shows. Netflix House has been discussed and planned for almost 2 years before the launch in 2025, suggesting that all the details were to be perfected in classic Virgo fashion.

Therefore, even with other influences, Netflix’s marketing strategy and overall positioning is unequivocally that of a Virgo brand.

Virgo archetype in Netflix’s marketing:

• Strong focus on market research
• Continuous product and lead gen improvement based on data-driven insights

Other influences in Netflix’s marketing:

• Libra: partnerships with retailers, film studios, etc.
• Leo: positioning as a market leader, production of original shows
• Scorpio: recurring focus on advertisements to generate leads (or most recently, revenue)

Adidas

Adidas was founded on August 18, 1949 by Adolf Dassler, after falling out with his brother Rudolf Dassler, with whom he ran a sports shoe company for many years.

The company brand originally included word “addas”, as a reference to the founders’ name, but upon formal registration Adolf Dassler chose to include an “i” to minimise the risk of mix-ups between himself and another manufacturer of children’s clothes. This thoughtfulness about having a distinctive brand name aligns well with the position of the Sun in Leo in adidas’ founding chart.

However, adidas took over two decades to develop its first logo, which might suggest that the Leo theme of branding wasn’t a priority in the early years. And indeed, Adolf Dassler focussed on designing the best possible sports shoes for different disciplines over creating awareness for his company.

Among many other inventions, he developed a football shoe with three parallel straps that were meant to stabilise the shoe and foot while running. This technical improvement (Virgo) made adidas shoes recognisable and has since become an important marketing symbol for the brand. In fact, this symbol features prominently in Adidas’ first logo, the trefoil, which consisted in three leaves and three horizontal stripes.

As such, the founders’ research, meticulous attention to detail and focus on continuous improvement, ultimately contributed to the development of the company’s brand. Astrologically, we might therefore expect to see synergies between Mercury (the ruler of Virgo) and Sun (the ruler of Leo). While these planets do not aspect one another, they are the only planets to be positioned in their domicile or home sign in the company’s founding chart. This suggests that the themes of leadership (Sun), communication, analysis and research (Virgo) may be emphasised in the development and growth of the company.

And indeed, the leadership qualities of Käthe Dassler, Adolf’s wife, have been attributed to the commercial success of Adolfs’ research-driven and detail-oriented business venture.

This blend of brand leadership and research-focus is also evident in the company’s marketing strategy today. According to their 2023 Annual report, marketing is one of the largest operating expenses, as it is an important mechanism for driving adidas’ brand desirability and top-line growth.

That said, the company also invests in detailed analytics, such as tracking orders, sell-through rates and point of sale, store traffic, average sales price and many other variables to identify changes in the retail environment, and adjust their product positioning accordingly.

However, beyond these expressions of Leo and Virgo energy, the company also invests a substantial sum in marketing partnerships with athletes and leaders in music, arts and culture, who agree to promote its brand.

For example, Adidas recently became the official kit sponsor of the Indian Cricket Team for the 2023 World Cup, and engaged Indian rapper Raftaar and several cricket legends to promote its brand. The company has a long history of these partnerships, having worked with leading athletes across a range of sports, including football star David Beckham and runner Emil Zatopek.

You might say that marketing partnerships are indicative of a strong Libra brand, as they require mutual understanding and agreement between two parties. And indeed, we do see some Libra influence with Neptune in Libra in adidas’ founding chart. However, the nature of the partnerships itself exudes more Leo and Virgo energy, as adidas – while conscious of the overall marketing spend – works primarily with global events, high-profile teams and high-profile individuals.

The remainder of the company’s marketing investment goes to brand marketing activities, including digital, advertising and grassroots activations, also a clear hint at more Leo energy. As such, the position of the Sun in Leo seems to have become almost as relevant, if not more so, than the dominant Virgo signature in company’s chart for interpreting adidas’ marketing strategy.

Leo energy in adidas’s marketing:

• Strong focus on brand marketing
• Long-lasting partnerships with brand ambassadors
• Choice of a distinctive brand name

Virgo archetype in adidas’ marketing:

• Company logo rooted in research and product improvement
• Data analysis as a key driver of marketing decision-making

Visa

Visa Inc. is a payment service provider founded by the Bank of America as BankAmericard on September 18, 1958. While the company originally allowed its customers to buy products on credit via a plastic card, Visa’s main business model today revolves around processing transactions and payment information. This data-driven approach corresponds to the dominance of the Virgo archetype in the company’s horoscope.

However, on the marketing side, much of the early success of Visa (or more precisely, the Bankamericard) stems from large, national advertising campaigns that sought to position the card as the default option for all types of purchases. The “Think of it as money” (1972) and “Today’s way to pay” (1976) campaigns, for example, promoted the Americard as a more versatile, and later, the most accepted payment option.

The heavy reliance on advertising can also be seen in Visa’s founding chart – through the conjunction of Jupiter and Neptune in Scorpio making a sextile to Pluto (the ruler of Scorpio) in Virgo as the dominant sign. This placement also explains the strategic of use of music (Neptune) in advertising (Scorpio) in order to share a promotional message (Jupiter).

However, so far, it seems as though Visa’s marketing strategy aligns more closely with the Scorpio energy than the Virgo archetype seen in the company’s founding chart. This is also supported by the reliance on sponsorship initiatives and partnerships in entertainment and sports. For example, Visa has recently partnered with the International Olympic and Paralympic Committees the National Football League (NFL) and FIFA to “showcase [their] payment innovation” at sporting events.

Such partnerships may, astrologically, be linked to placements in Libra and Scorpio, and indeed, we find the North Node in Libra and Jupiter/Neptune in Scorpio in Visa’s founding chart.

While we do not see much Virgo energy in the choice of marketing channels, we do see a strong Virgo archetype in the brand values that Visa tries to embody. According to their 2023 annual report, the company’s brand values include “acceptance, security, convenience, speed and reliability” – all of which align well with the Virgo archetype.

This, combined with the fact that a substantial portion of the company’s revenue comes from data processing, might imply that (at least for Visa) the dominant archetype of a business corresponds more closely with its overarching values, marketing message and business model, than with the marketing channels which it chooses.

Virgo archetype in Visa’s marketing:

• Brand values of convenience, speed and reliability
• Attention to detail – e.g. in ‘Prodigies’ campaign

Other influences in Visa’s marketing

• Scorpio: wide use of advertisements and sponsorships
• Sagittarius: global, promotional message for global network

eBay

AuctionWeb was founded on September 3, 1995 by Pierre Omidyar. It was renamed eBay two years later and has since become one of the largest online marketplaces for selling new, used and refurbished goods.

One of the company’s earliest marketing efforts was executed by eBay’s third employee and PR manager, Mary Lou Song. In the hopes of attraction media attention, Mary Lou invented the story that Pierre Omidyar created the eBay website to help his fiancé sell her collection of Pez candy dispensers.

The strong focus on public relations would match a strong Libra brand. And indeed, we find Mercury and Mars (the planets of communication and energy) in Libra in eBay’s founding chart, making Libra the dominant archetype.

That said, the fabrication of a story would also be a Pisces theme, as Pisces is the zodiac sign associated with lies, myths and deception. The company’s founding chart does seem to validate this as a deliberate strategy, as we find Saturn in Pisces trine Neptune in Capricorn in eBay’s horoscope. These placements suggest that social hierarchies may influenced in subtle ways (Neptune in Capricorn), for example, through systematic illusions, dreams or deceptions (Saturn in Pisces).

However, we also see other influences in eBay’s founding chart and marketing strategy. For example, the company ran a marketing campaign called “Dream Big, Save Big” that invited business owners to write essays about what winning $50,000 to buy equipment on eBay would mean to their business. The focus on saving money and using resources effectively is a classic Virgo theme, while the strategic side of getting your customers to do your marketing for you fits the Libra archetype of the eBay brand.

Further evidence in support of the Libra archetype as a dominant factor in eBay’s marketing would be the alliances, partnerships and acquisitions strategy. For example, eBay entered an alliance with AOL in 1999, that saw the company create co-branded websites and pay for the promotion and advertising of its services on AOL US and international brands.

The company has also entered agreements with complementary service providers, such as GumTree, PayPal, Corrigon and classified ad listing sites, be it for increasing reach, gathering market data or for joint promotions.

Another strategic initiative with a strong Libra touch was the Vertical Trade Show program, in which category managers were hired to build relationships with experts, clubs, dealers and major collectors at events and gatherings, and encourage them to think of eBay as a place to buy and sell.

However, it may also be argued that the Vertical Trade Show Program was under substantial Virgo influence, as eBay category managers were told to monitor eBay’s boards and track what the community was thinking about their categories. This market research element suggests that details and customer feedback, both Virgo elements, played a notable role in the company’s marketing strategy.

It is therefore hardly surprising that Virgo is a significant factor in eBay’s founding chart, if not a close rival to the dominant Libra archetype.

This is further supported by the company’s marketing campaigns, which emphasise Virgo values including caring for one another (The Power of All of Us), paying attention to the details (eBay Authenticity Guarantee), and community endorsement (That’s on ebay).

However, many advertising campaigns also use music to create theatrical atmosphere (It’s on eBay) or allude to the film industry (e.g. Director’s Cat), which again fits the Libra archetype of the eBay brand.

In addition, brand campaigns, community cohesion (see also the eBay parody song) and buyer-seller interactions (Libra) as well as customer service, accessibility, detailed instruction manuals (such as “Official eBay Bible” or “eBay University”) and search tools (Virgo) are principal competitive factors in the company’s marketing strategy.

Therefore, it seems reasonable to say that both Virgo and Libra energy are (almost) equally prominent in eBay’s market positioning.

This could support the idea that the placement of the Sun alone may be a significant factor in a company’s branding, perhaps more so than the dominant zodiac sign.

Libra archetype in eBay’s marketing:

• Early public relations initiatives
• Event marketing
• Strategic marketing alliances and partnerships

Other influences in eBay’s marketing:

• Virgo: Search tools and market research competence as competitive advantages
• Pisces: use of illusions, dreams, deceptions and media

Siemens

Siemens was founded on October 1, 1847 by Werner von Siemens, Johann Georg Halske and Johann Georg Siemens as a producer of electric pointer telegraphs and associated devices for printing telegrams. Today, the German technology company produces a wide range of electronic and technical devices for the industrial, energy and healthcare sector.

According to the company’s founding chart, Libra would be the dominant archetype and should therefore be reflected in Siemens’ marketing strategy. As such, we might expect to see partnership marketing, negotiations and a focus on aesthetics or events in the company’s presentation, communication and customer interactions.

This is confirmed by Siemens’ accounts of its own corporate history, according to which Werner von Siemens leveraged his insight into the planning of new telegraph lines (through his work in the telegraphy commission of the German military) to negotiate the first major contract with the German state.

The company’s strategic and influential position allegedly helped them win a contract with the Russian government, and subsequently, persuade stakeholders to become the preferred choice for the construction of a telegraph line from London to Calcutta. As such, Siemens saw considerable growth through partnerships with government authorities.

Even today, good government relations continue to contribute to a substantial portion of the company’s revenue, as it is heavily involved in the manufacturing of complex transport and energy-related products.

However, Siemens also serves B2B customers in a range of industrial sectors, to which it markets itself via trade shows, exhibitions and conferences. This event marketing set-up is quite fitting for a Libra-dominated company. 

According to Michael Sternberg, Head of Digital Marketing and Sales at Siemens, the company also began investing in content marketing, which would arguably be more of a Gemini domain. However, the main focus within content marketing was to develop automated campaigns to that generate demand across a range of channels.

This involved working with university professors to share technical expertise on social media in exchange for ‘money can’t buy experiences’, such as exclusive access to Siemens’ leadership. Such partnerships and cooperations correspond to the Libra archetype of the Siemens brand, while infusing some Leo energy.

However, the company’s marketing team also prioritises customer persona development and the development of an integrated marketing and sales funnel through better digital and automated processes. To facilitate this, the company would have to use insights from research and analysis (Mercury/Virgo) to connect with its ideal audience in a seamless exchange (Gemini / Libra).

While we see very little Virgo influence in Siemens’ founding chart, the company does have Mercury (the ruling planet of Gemini and Virgo) in Libra, which effectively combines these two domains.

The combination of Virgo and Libra also shines through in Siemens’ recent commercial, “transform the everyday”. In the feature, different people want to change the aesthetics, music and experience of urban life, using data, AI and technology. The female photographer, and the upgrade of the guy’s suit are classic Libra elements, while the focus on digital twins and energy efficiency fit the accent added by Mercury, the ruler of Virgo.

Libra archetype in Siemens marketing:

• Success through negotiations and partnerships
• Strong reliance on event marketing

Other influences:

• Aries: mergers and acquisitions strategy
• Gemini / Leo: content marketing with university professors as influencers
• Virgo: focus on data analysis and process optimisation

Nintendo

Nintendo was founded on September 23, 1889 as Nintendo Koppai in Kyoto, Japan. The company started producing handmade playing cards for export to Western markets, and later shifted to video games and matching hardware devices.

As you might expect from a company with a Libra archetype, Nintendo’s early marketing relied on traditional advertising campaigns and partnerships with retailers and entertainment brands. In 1958, the company signed an agreement with Disney, which allowed it to produce Disney-themed playing cards and sell them to Japanese households. This was an immediate financial success, so Nintendo continued to explore business partnerships across a range of industries.

By the 1970s, Nintendo was selling electronic toys, and mass produced the first solar-powered light gun in partnership with Sharp. Given Nintendo’s founding chart, it is hardly surprising that the company saw success through partnerships in the toy industry. After all, Nintendo has dominant Leo and Libra archetypes, with Leo ruling entertainment and Libra ruling partnerships.

These archetypes are also evident in Nintendo’s successful entry into the video game market, where it would go on to launch popular games such as Donkey Kong, Sky Skipper and Mario Bros in the following decade. Each video game was marketed under its own, unique brand and soon promoted in Nintendo Fun Club (later Nintendo Power), a video game magazine with enormous outreach that allowed the company to communicate directly with its fans.

The Nintendo Fun Club as a promotional strategy combined Gemini, Leo and Virgo energy, as it shared information around new releases (Gemini), provided game instructions and advice (Virgo), and used comics (Leo) to entertain its younger readers.

Alongside the magazine, Nintendo promoted its games alongside the Nintendo Entertainment System, effectively packaging hardware and games as one. In doing so, the company harnessed synergies between its technology (Uranus in Libra) and entertainment (Venus in Leo).

In addition to a combined offer, uplifting music is a hallmark of Nintendo’s marketing strategy, featuring not only in the company’s commercials but also many of their video games. The company even employs its own songwriter, Shinobu Tanaka, to create theme songs and in-play elements –such as the soundtrack for Mario and Sonic at the Olympic winter games, among many others. This once again fits the Leo qualities of Nintendo.

Even today, the company aims to create ‘smiles’ by offering a unique brand of play – in line with its Leo archetype. According to their 2023 annual report, the company seeks to broaden touchpoints for Nintendo IP using smart devices, theme parks, visual content, and character-based merchandise so as to make gaming opportunities more readily available to consumers. The multi-touchpoint strategy, as well as the development of long-term relationships through a Nintendo account, aligns well with the Libra energy in Nintendo’s founding chart.

Leo archetype in Nintendo’s marketing:

• Distinctive characters and branding for each Nintendo game
• Uplifting music in commercials and video games
• Use of comics in Nintendo Fun Club

Libra archetype in Nintendo’s marketing:

• Strong partnerships for distribution and promotion of products (e.g. Disney, Sharp, etc.)
• Multi-touchpoint strategy for development of long-term customer relationships
• Nintendo events, such as Mario Kart championship tournament

Other influences in Nintendo’s marketing:

• Aquarius-Libra: harnessing technological synergies (hardware + software) in promotions

Honda

Honda started as a manufacturer of auxiliary engines for bicycles on September 24, 1948 and has since expanded its product range to include farming engine ushers, motorcycles and cars. The company invented the first car navigation system and remains one of the largest automotive manufacturers in the world.

Honda’s marketing strategy relies on a range of channels and content formats including print ads, commercials, sponsorships and events. For example, Honda hosted a live music event in 2008, that saw the brand’s robot, Asimo, conduct the Detroit Symphony Orchestra to the tune of “The Impossible Dream”. Such a Pisces-themed event, corresponds to the placement of Neptune (music, dreams) in Libra (events) in Honda’s founding chart.

Arguably, the position of Neptune in Libra in Honda’s horoscope has had a strong influence on the company’s brand positioning. For one, it is reflected in the strategic use of music throughout commercials, but beyond it that there are countless references to dreams, transcendence and imagination, all of which are classic Pisces themes.

Take for example, the company’s slogan, “Create, transcend, augment” or its commercial “Hands” which sees a person’s hands create and bring to life different Honda products, including motorcycles, cars and planes. The commercial taps into the power of dreams and imagination to transform products (Pisces and Scorpio energy), and may even work a subliminal message into ads. After all, at the 44 second mark of the commercial, there is a brief reference to a website called “theyliveandwesleep.com”, which may be a cryptic reference to the film “They Live” by John Carpenter or a promotion for the clothing brand who owns said domain. The subtlety and brevity of the message, as well as the accompanying image of a human skull, adds clear Pisces and Scorpio energy to this ad.

However, the same cannot be said for other commercials, such as the “Cog”, in which a Ruben Goldberg machine assembles a finished car, or “You meet the nicest people on a Honda”, which explores the Libra theme of connection. Yet even when the Libra archetype comes to the surface, the brand loves to work with special effects and visuals (Pisces) to communicate its message.

In addition, Honda tailors its strategy to local markets – as evidenced by the Precious as Gold campaign in Hindi or the Choir TV advert in the UK. It also adapts its product names to match local requirements or improve the reception in foreign markets (e.g. Honda Fit vs. Honda Jazz). Such localisation brings together the Gemini and Sagittarius energies seen in Honda’s founding chart.

The company also has a history of doing humour-based marketing, a classic Leo theme. For example, in 1985, Honda issued a four-page print ad, titled “How to fit six Honda’s in a two-car garage” with an image of Honda lawn mowers and gardening devices arranged neatly in a shed.

While we have seen a lot of diverse energies in Honda’s marketing and its founding chart, the company does consistently come back to its Libra archetype through the events it hosts and sponsors. For example, Honda partners with the National Hockey League and pro esports organisation Team Liquid, and hosts guest from the music industry on its YouTube channel “Honda Creative Studio”.

Libra archetype in Honda’s marketing:

• Hosting and sponsorship of online and offline events

Other influences in Honda’s marketing:

• Gemini/Sagittarius: localisation in global marketing
• Scorpio: advertisements
• Pisces: use of music and subliminal messaging

Walt Disney Company

The Walt Disney Company was founded on October 26, 1923 in Los Angeles and has since become one of the largest media entertainment businesses in the world. While the company works in the film business, which is classic Pisces terrain, its founding chart reveals dominant positions in Libra and Scorpio.

And indeed, the spark for Disney would come through both of these elements: a chance meeting in a hotel lobby (Libra) led to a merchandising contract (Scorpio) that allowed a New-York based company to manufacture and sell figures and toys of comic characters in exchange for royalty payments.

The company would also go on to sign a contract with a Kansas advertising man, who adorned products such as napkins, books and clothing with Disney characters in a bid to put these characters in every home in America.

The sale of merchandise proved to be a major success – as it brought in revenue for the company while at the same time marketing the early films. This business strategy was unusual at the time, but it embodies both the Libra qualities of marketing, and the Scorpio ideal of building attachment to a business or brand.

By the 1960s, the company had grown, and its marketing strategy now included TV commercials, music, merchandise licencing, the Disneyland theme parks, comic strips, Disney magazines and books. This multi-facetted marketing strategy ensured that people had regular touchpoints with the Disney brand, and in classic Scorpio fashion, sought to create a close blond with (prospective) customers.

Meanwhile, the individual marketing channels match the planetary placements in the company’s founding chart. For example, TV and music, both classic Pisces domains, are represented by Uranus in Pisces, which forms a neat trine to Venus in Scorpio. The Disneyland theme park, and the comics, both serve to entertain an audience, and as such may be linked to Neptune in Leo, which forms a trine to Mercury (communication) in Libra (between two or more people).

However, the company’s focus on brand loyalty has remained consistent even as it forayed into new terrain, such as retail stores, streaming and cruise liners. This supports the dominant position of the Scorpio archetype.

Scorpio archetype in Disney’s marketing:

• Merchandising and licencing of characters (leveraging intellectual property)
• Strong focus on brand loyalty
• Multi-touchpoint strategy for establishing close customer relationships

Libra influence in Disney’s marketing:

• Partnerships with Ingersoll-Waterbury Clock Company and George Borgfeldt & Company
• Strategic acquisitions of Pixar, Marvel and 21^st Century Fox (Mars in Libra)

Other influences in Disney’s marketing:

• Pisces: use of fantasy and myths in the presentation of characters, use of music as a storytelling tool

Procter & Gamble

Procter and Gamble was founded on October 31, 1837, as William Procter, a British candlemaker, and James Gamble, an Irish soap maker, decided to merge their businesses in Cincinnati. At the time the production of soap and candles both used animal fat as the primary ingredient, and Procter and Gamble soon became a key supplier of soap and candles for the Union Army. Over the next two centuries, the company expanded its product range with new offers in the health, beauty, cleaning, family and pet care industries.

In each of these categories, Procter and Gamble used different brands to promote its products, such as Hair and Shoulders for Shampoo, Gilette for razors or Ariel for washing liquid. This level of diversification helps minimise brand-related risks for the conglomerate, and aligns well with the Sagittarius archetype in that it allows the company to build a presence in different (domestic and international) markets.

The expansion to new markets (Aries-Sagittarius) proved so effective that about half of the company’s revenue was derived from international (non-US) sales by the year 2000. On the marketing front, the dedication to thorough market research and testing has been credited as a contributing factor in the company’s international success.

For example, Thomas Mc. Graw describes how Procter and Gamble “hired hundreds of women to bake, wash dishes, and do laundry in their homes and report the results”, and employed around 3000 interviewers who went from house to house to learn more about their target audience in the 1930s and 1940s. Such thorough market research – which was revolutionary at the time, hints at planetary positions in Virgo, and indeed we can see Jupiter in Virgo making a Sextile to the Sun in Procter and Gamble’s founding chart.

However, the company also heavily invested in advertising – with a budget upwards of several billion dollars a year. Advertising is a classic Scorpio theme, and P&G has both the Sun and Saturn in Scorpio in its founding chart. However, if we consider that many different channels were used to spread the advertising message (e.g. newspapers, radio and television), we might also make a case for the company’s Sagittarius archetype. That said, majority of company’s advertising budget was spent on daytime TV commercials – which may be associated with both Sagittarius and Pisces as well as Scorpio.

Newspaper, radio and television campaigns greatly aided P & G’s international expansion, as did an aggressive market entry strategy (Mars in Sagittarius) involving acquisitions and takeovers of successful brands.

The Aries and Sagittarius energy is not just reflected in the choice of marketing media but also in the content of P & G’s advertising campaigns. The brand regularly uses athletes (Mars) to share an inspirational messages (Sagittarius), as seen in the “Everyday champions” campaign featuring Femke Bol or the commercial “These Hands”, which tells a young football player (Mars) that he can be anything he wants to be (Sagittarius).

However, the company also uses coupons, trade promotions and customer pricing allowances to promote and sell its products. This would fit either Taurus or Scorpio elements. As P & G’s horoscope has Sun in Scorpio and Venus trine Pluto – the ruler of Scorpio – the brand’s pricing may serve to build and maintain customer loyalty – as seen in the coupons commercial of 1978.

That said, the international marketing strategy (with multiple localised brands) is core of pillar of P&G’s financial success. This corresponds with the Sagittarius archetype in the conglomerate’s founding chart, even as Virgo, Scorpio and Aries energy are notable influences.

Sagittarius archetype in Procter & Gamble’s marketing:

• International marketing with various (local) brands
• Inspirational messages shared in marketing content
• Expansive and diverse product range

Other influences in Procter & Gamble’s marketing:

• Virgo: thorough market research informs product design and marketing
• Scorpio: strong reliance on advertising to build and maintain loyalty
• Pisces: pioneer in television advertising

PayPal

PayPal was founded on December 1, 1998 as a payments and cryptography company and is now one of the largest online payment processors worldwide.

In the early stages, the founders believed that PayPal would one day allow people to beam money – to send it to one another, even when they weren’t in the same space. Of course, this vision corresponds to the Venus in Sagittarius placement (square Jupiter in Pisces) in the company’s founding chart. But is the Sagittarius archetype also reflected in the company’s marketing strategy?

Well, if we consider that much of PayPal’s marketing success came from referrals and money giveaways, we could expect Taurus and Scorpio to be the dominant energies. While we do find a stellium of Sun, Mercury, Venus and Pluto in the horoscope, the four planets are located in Sagittarius.

This may seem counterintuitive at first – but the Sagittarius placements become more visible if we consider that PayPal entered a strategic partnership (Venus) with ecommerce platform eBay (Sagittarius) in 2001. The partnership allowed merchants and buyers to settle ecommerce payments through PayPal, and thereby promoted the adoption of the digital payment processor.

The company also soon identified lower costs for international transactions (Venus in Sagittarius) as a competitive advantage, and its global network is part of the company’s appeal today.

On the marketing front, PayPal launched several commercials that highlight how the brand seeks to build a global network. These include the Everywhere Commercial (2024) which sees Pharell Williams using PayPal at checkout in multiple US stores, the Lightning Strikes promotion (2014), in which PayPal presents a list of online shops that UK consumers can order at, and the Options commercial (2014), which highlights that PayPal can be used domestically and abroad.

These international marketing campaigns match the Sagittarius archetype in the company’s founding chart. The Sagittarius energy also corresponds to communication and marketing efforts that focus on “multiple geographies and demographic groups” – as described in PayPal’s 2024 annual report.

One such effort is pay-per-click advertising, which can be used to target specific groups and communities in the online marketing landscape, and swiftly combines the global nature of promotions with advertising as a medium. And indeed, a conjunction between the Sun and Pluto in Sagittarius can manifest as high spending (Pluto) on building a global brand (Sun in Sagittarius).

It can also show up as using cashbacks, shopping sweepstakes and free shipping in a nationwide campaign, as seen in the company’s 2007 holiday promotion.

However, despite this clear Scorpio influence in some parts of PayPal’s marketing strategy, the company consistently embodies the Sagittarius archetype in its international communications. The brand launched fully localised websites for customers in Mexico, Hong Kong and Singapore back in 2008, while translating its content in 9 different languages to better serve the 173 countries in which it operated at the time.

This focus on global networks (and international marketing) supports the dominance of the Sagittarius archetype.

Sagittarius archetype in Paypal’s marketing:

• Global marketing campaigns
• Localised websites for different geographic markets

Other influences in PayPal’s marketing:

• Taurus: price-based promotions (e.g. sweepstakes, coupons, etc.)
• Libra: strategic partnership with eBay
• Scorpio: pay-per-click advertising and cash-back loyalty programme
• Aquarius: revolutionary technology in the ‘PayPal is new money’ commercial

Marriott International

Marriott opened its first hotel on January 16, 1957 in Arlington, Virginia and has since become an influential business in the global hospitality industry. Marriott now has around 30 different brands, spanning budget and luxury short stays, as well as longer-term accommodation. The company owns many iconic properties, but also runs some of its hotel through a franchise model.

For its marketing, the company relies on a range of channels such as e-mail, their mobile app, online advertising (including social media) and postal mailings. The company also leverages relationships with travel service providers to obtain access to guests, and positions its marketing message on other businesses’ marketing materials.

Astrologically, one might therefore expect placements in Gemini due to the omni-channel communications, as well as Libra due to the reliance on business partnerships. While the company’s horoscope does feature Jupiter in Libra (expansive business connections), there are no planets in Gemini.

However, Mercury, as the ruler of Gemini is retrograde in Capricorn, which suggests that the company could leverage structural advantages, due to its size and share in the hospitality market. In particular, one might argue that the company can leverage relationships with travel service providers primarily due to the size and influence of its brand (Jupiter in Libra trine Sun in Capricorn).

And arguably, Marriott leveraged this structural advantage to create its global omni-channel media network, via which advertisers can create content that aligns with the 30 brands in the company’s portfolio. Another area where size (Capricorn) matters, is the cross-brand Marriott Bonvoy loyalty programme, which allows guests to collect points and receive discounts for their next stay at any Marriott-brand hotel.

Loyalty programmes, of course, are traditionally associated with Scorpio energy, as they seek to build a bond with and retain existing customers. As such, it is hardly surprising to find placements of both Neptune and the North Node in Scorpio in Marriott’s founding chart. However, in this case, the cross-brand nature of loyalty programme also adds some Capricorn energy into the mix, as exhibited by Neptune’s sextile to Venus in Capricorn.

Beside the loyalty programmes, Marriott International also developed a series of action-comedy films, which show two bellmen protect their guests’ belongings from cunning thieves. At first glance, these films seek to build customers loyalty (Neptune in Scorpio) through entertainment (square Moon in Leo), however, these films are also part of a larger global marketing ecosystem (Sun in Capricorn) that focusses on ‘winning the hearts, minds, and wallets of the next generation traveller’.

Additionally, the company’s marketing campaigns sometimes combine multiple brands, as seen in the Golden Rule campaign, which sought to promote four of its ‘Classic Select’ brands. This allows the company to tap into the marketing structure and systems (Sun in Capricorn) across its business to share a mutually beneficial, promotional message.

Overall, Marriott International uses its size and structure as a strategic advantage in marketing its many brands – which is quite fitting for a Capricorn archetype. However, there is also significant influence from Neptune in Scorpio, as the company attempts to build and increase customer loyalty.

Capricorn archetype in Marriott International’s marketing:

• Large-scale campaigns across multiple marketing channels
• Combined promotions for multiple brands

Other influences in Marriott International’s marketing:

• Scorpio: Marriott Bonvoy Loyalty Programme
• Leo: Focus on entertainment in content marketing
• Libra: Expansion through business partnerships

Heineken

The story of Heineken starts on 15 February 1864, when Gerard Adriaan Heineken bought the Haystack Brewery in Amsterdam using the money he inherited after his dad passed away. In the next decades, the young man expanded his business, both domestically and internationally, making Heineken a large manufacturer of alcoholic beverages worldwide.

The brand owes much of its early success to its product innovation, as Heineken was the first in the world to produce pure yeast, which would become a core ingredient in its beverages. The company’s success in the alcohol business is – of course – reflected in its founding chart through a square between Sun in Aquarius (innovative brand and leadership) and Jupiter in Scorpio (growth of alcoholic beverages).

That said, Heineken reached new commercial heights after it was introduced as a gentlemen’s beer to business men at Dutch trade exhibitions. The brand connected with the upper echelons of Dutch society through these events, as well as the grand cafés in many Dutch cities.

Heineken’s founding chart also has multiple planets – including Mercury and Venus – in Capricorn, allowing it to reach out to an affluent, high-status demographic (Mercury in Capricorn) through a pleasant, welcoming atmosphere (Venus in Capricorn). However, venues like trade shows and cafés are typically associated with Libra energy – and this is represented by Saturn in Libra in Heineken’s founding chart.

Heineken has also tied its beer to the celebration of sporting events and achievements. For example, in honour of the 1928 Amsterdam Olympics, the company arranged a marketing stunt, in which a daring pilot wrote the words ‘Heineken’s beer’ in the sky.

This stunt exhibited Aries, Capricorn and Aquarius energy, as an accomplished sportsman (Mars in Capricorn) used innovative marketing technology to promote the beer brand (Sun in Aquarius).  Considering that the first skywriting advertisements were created in 1922, this was a particularly unconventional method of promotion, and thus aligned well with the brand’s Sun in Aquarius.

The company’s innovative marketing streak continues well into the 1960s, when Heineken launched the first series of national beer commercials on Dutch television – such that one might wonder if the brand really has a Capricorn archetype.

After all, the commercial “Zondag”, for example, used a catchy tune (Pisces) to position Heineken as a way to keep conversations going (Uranus in Gemini) – a message that does not – at first sight, match the Capricorn archetype.

The same can be said for more recent commercials, which use counterintuitive ideas and technologies, linked with Aquarius energy, to promote the beer brand. For example, Heineken designed a Beer Outdoor Transporter – a cart that follows you around so you don’t have to carry your drink, and a Walk in Fridge advertisement – which uses a misunderstanding for comedic effect (Walk in Fridge vs. walking fridge) and positions Heineken as a desirable beverage.

But the Aquarius energy doesn’t end there. After all, Heineken has successful used guerilla marketing to get crowds to participate in a singing competition for a few remaining UEFA sporting tickets. And the company has experimented with an iconic aluminium beer bottle, to position itself as an innovative brand (Sun in Aquarius) in Dutch nightclubs and premium event venues (Saturn in Libra).

However, Heineken is just one of the company’s core brands. The manufacturer has more than 300 different brands worldwide to dominate the alcoholic (and increasingly non-alcoholic) beverage market. It is here that the Capricorn archetype becomes visible: through the structure and the systematic side of Heineken’s marketing.

For example, the company recently consolidated its media buying with a single marketing firm, allowing them to leverage economies of scale and cement their role as a global brand.

They also developed a responsible marketing code, which lays out the rules that marketers and agencies working for Heineken must follow when promoting the company’s alcoholic beverages. In classic Capricorn fashion, this rulebook has a strong focus on the legal side of marketing communications (Mercury in Capricorn). 

While some of these regulations may be owed, in part, to the industry in which the company operates, the company has decided to impose stricter rules on its advertising than those mandated by national and international laws. For example, Heineken only wants to advertise in media where at least 70% of viewers are adults, and only casts adults above the age of 25 years of age for its commercials.

In doing so, Heineken seems to consider not just the legal ramifications, but also the responsibility their marketing team has when promoting alcoholic beverages to society – in line with Venus in Venus in Capricorn and Saturn in Libra in their founding chart. 

All things considered, the Capricorn archetype seems to reflected in Heineken’s marketing strategy, even though the Heineken brand image is perhaps more closely portrayed through Aquarius elements, especially the Sun in Aquarius placement.

Capricorn archetype in Heineken’s marketing:

• Dominant position in alcoholic beverage market with 300+ brands
• Marketing governed by company policies
• Consolidation of media buying with a single company

Aquarius energy in Heineken’s marketing:

• Use of new, unconventional marketing channels (e.g. skywriting in 1920s, TV in 1950s)
• Guerilla marketing campaigns
• Innovative packaging – e.g. aluminium beer bottles

Other influences in Heineken’s marketing:

• Aries: sports event sponsorships
• Taurus: use of cash discounts, early payment discounts and temporary promotional discounts
• Libra: distribution through trade shows, networking events, premium cafés and partnerships e.g. with Coca Cola
• Scorpio-Pisces: use of music in commercials (Jupiter in Pisces)

Nike

Nike’s roots go back to Blue Ribbon Sports, a running shoe company that started on November 22, 1962. Blue Ribbon Sports was officially incorporated on 25 January 1964 by Phil Knight, runner at the University of Oregon and his track coach Bill Bowerman.

Given that we have two “starting dates” for the company, we also have two founding charts that we can work with: one from the incorporation, and another from the conceptualisation of the company. The horoscope from the incorporation has Aquarius as an archetype, unlike the conceptual chart in which Scorpio is the dominant sign.

But which of those horoscopes is the most fitting for Nike – considering its operations and global brand? At first sight, it may appear as though the horoscope for the conceptualisation is quite accurate. After all, on the day that Nike became its own brand, Jupiter crossed over the Sun in Nike’s conceptualisation chart. Jupiter in Sagittarius transit Sun in Sagittarius would fit the growth of the brand in the international realm.

However, up until 1971, the company had been a reseller for Onitsuka Tiger, and after mounting tensions, they decided to launch a new line of footwear under the Nike brand, inspired by the Greek goddess of victory. On launch day, transiting Uranus (novelty) in Libra (marketing), formed a trine to Mars in Aquarius in the company’s horoscope of incorporation, suggesting that the company would succeed (Mars) through innovation (Aquarius) – which is precisely what happened in the decades that followed.

Nike also announced that Mark Parker would become the company CEO on January 23, 2006 – just as the transiting Sun and Chiron formed a conjunction to the Sun in Nike official chart of incorporation. While Sun conjunct Sun in Aquarius can – and did – represent a new beginning for the company’s leadership, the conceptualisation chart saw that same transiting Sun conjunct Saturn in Uranus. This could indicate a new leader (Sun) contributing to a change (Aquarius) in the company’s organisational chart (Saturn).

As it is still up to interpretation, based on these two events, whether the conceptual or the official chart is more accurate fitting for Nike, let’s consider what can be learned from the company’s the initial public offering. Nike went public on December 2, 1980, and an IPO would typically be associated with a change in ownership structure (Uranus/Saturn aspects) and an improvement in the company’s valuation and finances (Jupiter/Venus aspects). In Nike’s case, the IPO was intended to solve the company’s cash flow problem after tax disputes with US customs, such that one might expect aspects between Saturn, Mars and Venus. The only horoscope to reveal such aspects is the 1964 chart of incorporation, which sees transiting Saturn trine Mars, transiting Mars sextile Venus, and transiting Venus square Mars.

As such, we will consider Nike’s chart of incorporation – dated 25 January 1964 – to be the official company horoscope, thereby lending the shoe company an Aquarius archetype.

In line with this characterisation, the company transformed athletic footwear through a range of technical innovations, as seen in more than 1000 patents filed for sole structures, cleat structures and the shoe manufacturing process.

For a long time, Nike considered its superior, innovative product to be the company’s main marketing tool, however, this shifted in the 1980s, when the company faced serious barriers to growth. Up to this point, the company had leveraged the founders’ track connections to get its shoes onto the feet of runners. This is supported by Venus (relationships) opposite Uranus in Virgo (research innovation) in the company’s chart of incorporation.

However, as the company grew, they continued to focus on product excellence and innovation (Uranus in Virgo) and gradually lost touch with their customer base, which had now grown beyond professional runners.

After two design failures (Venus in Pisces), the company’s marketing team conducted numerous focus groups and spent hundreds of hours during market research (Pluto in Virgo) at amateur sports events, and gyms in order to reconnect with its target audience.

With a Neptune in Scorpio placement, you might also expect that the company could see good results from television advertising. And while the company waited until 1987 to launch its first TV ad, their Revolution campaign attempted to change the way that people felt about fitness and exercise, with the Nike Air becoming the industry standard. This is reflected in the square between Neptune in Scorpio and Saturn in Aquarius in Nike’s founding chart.

According to Phil Knight, founder of Nike, innovation is not just part of the company’s heritage, but also happens to be good marketing – which is supported by a Sun in Aquarius placement.

The Aquarius archetype is also reflected in the fact that Nike attempts to be innovative in all areas of the business, which means it doesn’t pretest its advertising, instead preferring to run them and gauge the response. The brand also keeps developing new campaign concepts – because they believe that ‘if you do the same thing you’ve done before, … you won’t last more than one or two seasons.’

For many of these campaigns, the company partners with successful athletes (Jupiter in Aries), who endorse the company’s sportswear innovation (Mars in Uranus). For example, the 2024 campaign “Winning isn’t for everyone’ highlighted the competitive nature of the company’s athlete sponsors. 

Similarly, the company leveraged its partnership with runner Michael Johnson for some ambush marketing at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta. By providing Johnson with a pair of golden spikes, the brand was able to associate itself with Olympic Gold – and the design and colour of Johnson’s shoes became a major talking point in the media.

This unusual marketing strategy, which took footwear brand Reebok by surprise, was only amplified by the distribution of flags outside the athlete village and the construction of a 12-storey retail outlet outside the athlete’s village. Such guerilla marketing initiatives are typical of an Aquarius brand, and of course, well reflected in Nike’s official founding chart.

The Aquarius archetype is also reflected in the naming of the company’s products (such as Nike Air), while its main brand mark consists in a “swoosh”, which in addition to describing a flash of colour, is the sound produced by a sudden rush of air or liquid.

As such Nike’s branding clearly fits the Aquarius archetype, with some Virgo and Pisces influences adding to the company’s overall marketing strategy. 

Aquarius archetype in Nike’s marketing:

• No pretesting of advertising – but experimentation and risk-taking
• Air-related brand names

Other influences in Nike’s marketing:

• Aries: marketing deals with successful athletes
• Virgo: thorough market research to identify target demographic

Coca Cola

The world’s first Coca Cola was served at a pharmacy in Atlanta, Georgia on May 8, 1886 as a tonic for common ailments. The product contained two active ingredients: cocaine and caffeine from kola nuts, which acted as a stimulant and would lend its name to the brand when it was later bought and incorporated by Asa Griggs Candler in 1892.

The company later changed the ingredient of its drink, and has spent billions on promoting its beverage brands in American and international culture. Today, Coca Cola uses a range of channels from web, social media and television advertising to direct-to-consumer marketing in order to promote its products.

In line with its Aquarius archetype, the company has also experimented with unconventional, or innovative channels including an interactive vending machine that gave people free cokes for dancing in public, an oversized vending machine that required people to help each other to reach the buttons in order to buy coke and drinkable advertisements. These unorthodox technologies not only surprised customers but also align well with the Sun and Moon conjunction in Aquarius trine Uranus in Gemini in the brand’s official founding chart.

The Aquarius signature is also evident in the brand’s Christmas trucks – which were first envisioned for the 1995 Christmas Caravan commercial – and brought to life in the United States in 2001. After all, most of the original footage was amplified by special effects that were custom-created by Industrial Light and Magic, the company behind the Star Wars films, and stretched the technological possibilities in advertising at the time.

Uranus in Scorpio (technology and innovation in advertising) forms a trine with the Sun and Moon in Aquarius in Coca Cola’s founding chart. This placement puts the brand at the forefront of technological innovation in the advertising domain. And indeed, Coca Cola pioneered the use of generative artificial intelligence (associated with Uranus and Aquarius) in several commercials for the 2024 Christmas campaign.

However, Coca Cola has also used more traditional marketing techniques such as product placements in movies, including in Blade Runner, E.T. and Superman. This would be associated with Pisces energy, and more specifically Jupiter and Venus in Pisces in the company’s founding chart. This placement also supports the use of music (Pisces) to spread an optimistic message (Jupiter), as seen in the “I’d Like to Buy the World a Coke” commercial.

As Chief Marketing Officer, Manuel Arroyo describes in a recent interview, Coca Cola spent most of its marketing budget on building customer loyalty – embodied by a square between Venus and Pluto in the company’s founding chart. However, the Coca Cola corporation continually launches new brands to remain a leading force in the soft drinks market – as it has discovered that most people’s intake of its core beverage declines once they reach the mid to late 30s.

As you might expect with a Saturn in Virgo placement, the company has conducted systematic research into consumer preferences only to find that its younger target demographic is are engaging with influencers and can be reached through brands that lead by being different (Sun in Aquarius). 

Despite this Virgo and Pisces influence, the experimental nature of their marketing, coupled with innovation and new technologies, firmly positions the Coca Cola brand within the realm of the Aquarius archetype.

Aquarius archetype in Coca Cola’s marketing:

• Experimentation with novel marketing technologies (e.g. special effects, AI, etc.)
• Unconventional marketing channels and concepts including guerilla marketing

Other influences in Coca Cola’s marketing:

• Virgo: systematic customer research
• Aquarius-Scorpio: technology and innovation in advertising

American Express

American Express was founded on the 18^th of March 1850 through consolidation of two freight forwarding companies that operated between New York and Buffalo. In the 1900s, Amex shifted its business away from the transport of goods, after having introduced traveller’s checks and money orders which paved the way for American Express to become a financial institution.

In the company’s founding chart, we find Pisces as a dominant archetype, with substantial Aries energy thrown into the mix. But how – if at all – is this reflected in the company’s marketing activities?

One way the Pisces archetype can be seen in Amex’ marketing is through the extensive of use television and multimedia – both for commercials and product placements. American Express cards have been featured or mentioned in movies including Beverly Hills Cops 2 (1987), Wall Street (1987), Nothing to Lose (1997) and the Apprentice (2024). The company regularly launched TV commercials with endorsements from the music (Pisces) and sports (Aries) industry, including Luciano Pavarotti, Pele, Edmund Hillary, and Virginia Wade starring in its 1979 campaign “Don’t Leave Home without it”.

However, the company also used campaigns featuring high status individuals to position itself in the luxury segment, with partnerships with Delta Airlines and Hilton hotels only reinforcing the brand’s desired image as the primary choice for wealthy Americans. With money and luxury being clear Taurus and Leo themes, you may also expect placements in these signs – and indeed, we find the Moon in Taurus and North Node in Leo in American Express’ founding chart.

American Express was also one of the first companies to use charity, a clear Pisces theme, as part of its marketing program. In 1986, the company launched a marketing campaign that promised to make a charitable donation to the Statue of Liberty Ellis Land Foundation for every transaction using the American Express cards and cheques.

The financial services company used humour (Pisces) to fight its rival VISA (Aries) in the ongoing credit wars.  At 1994 Winter Olympics, their opening commercial included the line “So if you’re travelling to Norway, you’ll need a passport, but you don’t need a VISA.”

The company also runs an affiliate marketing program that allows website owners to place an American Express banner or link on their page and receive a commission for every Amex card sale. While an affiliate-based program might hint at Scorpio energy, there are no planets in Scorpio in American Express’ founding chart.

However, if we look at the affiliate marketing program in more depth, we see that American Express provides all required marketing information to merchants, allowing the company and brand itself to stay in the background (Pisces), while letting others do the selling for them.

Another key feature of American Express’ marketing is its membership rewards and payback program, which allows users to earn points for transactions made with the company’s credit cards, and redeem them at selected (online) retailers. The payout side could be associated with Moon in Taurus in American Express’ founding chart, but, the loyalty program also – ever so subtly – allows the company to gather customer data (Mercury and Neptune in Pisces), which it can then use for more targeted marketing activities.

And so, while American Express has attempted to gain market share from close competitors by channelling its Aries energy, the subtlety and sometimes hidden agendas in the credit company’s marketing do point towards and support the Pisces archetype in its founding chart.

Pisces archetype in American Express’ marketing:

• Product placements in television and multimedia
• Blending charitable activities together with marketing
• Subtleness and hidden marketing benefits in corporate activities

Other influences in American Express’ marketing:

• Scorpio: loyalty program with membership rewards
• Leo and Taurus: positioning as the credit card company for wealthy, high status individuals

Samsung

Samsung was founded as a grocery company in Daegu, South Korea on May 1, 1938. It has since expanded into consumer electronics, aerospace and the semiconductor industry, and now operates as a global conglomerate.

Given the company’s Pisces archetype, it comes as no surprise that Samsung is at the top of the global TV market, as television, multimedia, and storytelling, are classic Pisces domains.

Of course, this emphasis is also reflected in the company’s marketing – with the brand being one of the first to partner with YouTube creator Casey Neistat to highlight how its products support film making and storytelling in the community.

Samsung also emphasises storytelling in its commercials, including “The Next Best Thing”, which had customers wait in line at an Apple Store, only to find that a technologically superior Samsung device was already available.

Another example of Pisces-style storytelling is the Samsung Quickdrive ad. This single-shot commercial uses repetitive music, humour and short text to showcase the hypnotic effect of washing going round – thereby allowing it to highlight the benefits of a faster washing machine. The company also produced a full-length feature film (Pisces) to show a full cycle of washing with piano music in the background.

In classic Pisces fashion, music and sounds feature prominently in Samsung’s marketing, with the company dedicating a whole page in the corporate brand section of its website to showcasing Samsung’s brand sounds.

As part of its ongoing marketing efforts, the company also hosted a gaming competition at TwitchCon, with popular streamers playing in teams against each other on Samsung devices. While the illusionary nature of online gaming may be associated with the Pisces archetype, the competitive event also exudes Aries energy.

Is this reflected in Samsung’s horoscope? Yes. Mars in Aries forms a sextile to the stellium of Mercury, Sun and Venus in Pisces. This placement also fits the sponsorship of the Paralympic Games, which combines the competitiveness of Aries with Pisces’ compassion for health challenges and disabilities.

Meanwhile, Samsung’s participation at the Innovation for All (IFA) trade show exudes both Aquarius and Pisces energy, by focussing on the seamless integration of artificial intelligence into daily life. This was underscored by the company’s event motto “All for AI, like sprinkling magic dust in every-day life”

Overall, Samsung clearly exhibits the Pisces archetype in its marketing, with some influences from Aries and Aquarius energy.

Pisces archetype in Samsung’s marketing:

• Use of television and multimedia for storytelling
• Prominence of music and sound effects in marketing

Other influences in Samsung’s marketing:

• Aries: competitions as a marketing channel
• Aquarius: AI and new technologies

Conclusion

As shown through the businesses in this article, there is substantial alignment between a brand’s horoscope and how it markets itself. To learn more about the underlying dynamics – and the influence of the dominant archetype on a brand’s marketing strategy – continue reading here.

And if you liked and valued this analysis, please show some love for Aquarian Marketing.

Sources:

BMW

Company history: https://www.bmwgroup.com/en/company/history.html

Logo: https://www.bmw.com/en/automotive-life/bmw-logo-meaning-history1.html

History of the slogans: https://www.bmw.com/en/automotive-life/the-history-of-the-bmw-slogan.html

“The Hire” advertising series: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PKYUtUw-8ig&list=PLFnG9-m3oRFYbNKQcXX-JagkDRkMHyz5m

British Petroleum:

Brand and logo: https://www.bp.com/en/global/corporate/who-we-are/our-brands.html

Heritage: https://www.bp.com/en/global/corporate/who-we-are/our-history/heritage-brands.html

Story behind BP’s commercials: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0_pB1I80xS8&list=PLaxBnE1Fli01n71tkXkTihoffGRa2Jyxs&index=5

“Supermen” Commercial: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7JwC7WdRkKc&list=PLaxBnE1Fli01n71tkXkTihoffGRa2Jyxs&index=7&pp=iAQB

“On the Move” Commercial: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8KC11KkSN_U&list=PLaxBnE1Fli01n71tkXkTihoffGRa2Jyxs&index=1&pp=iAQB

Commercial by Steven Spielberg: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oW4aZCcvuqg&list=PLaxBnE1Fli01n71tkXkTihoffGRa2Jyxs&index=3

McDonalds:

McDonald’s history:https://corporate.mcdonalds.com/corpmcd/our-company/who-we-are/our-history.html

McDonalds Monopoly Promotion: https://www.talon.one/blog/mcdonalds-monopoly-a-masterclass-in-promotions

1967 first TV commercial: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zRrMpRZ2PGc

Speedee mascot: https://mcdonalds.fandom.com/wiki/Speedee

Amazon:

Amazon’s company name: https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-jeff-bezos-chose-company-name-2018-5

Origins of the word “Cadabra”: https://www.haaretz.com/2013-05-08/ty-article/word-of-the-day-abracadabra/0000017f-e08b-d38f-a57f-e6db9da50000

Amazon Sweatermen 1999 commercials: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8JWQy713cHs&list=PL-_zGwteNTeKiyM1Jz0AQCZ7i7Tjo3Fnq&index=5

History of Amazon Prime: https://www.vox.com/recode/2019/5/3/18511544/amazon-prime-oral-history-jeff-bezos-one-day-shipping

Amazon marketing strategy analysis: https://www.engagebay.com/blog/amazon-marketing-strategy-case-study/

IBM:

Advertising history of IBM: https://adage.com/article/adage-encyclopedia/ibm-corp/98715

Education of salesforce at IBM: https://www.ibm.com/history/sales-culture

Selectric typewriter ad: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vNUEUth7qjc

Charlie Chaplin advertisements: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kQT_YCBb9ao

Origins of THINK: https://www.ibm.com/history/think

History of the IBM Logo: https://www.ibm.com/history/logo

Ford:

Ford History and Heritage: https://www.cascade.app/studies/ford-strategy-study

Model T advertisement: https://www.thehenryford.org/explore/blog/advertising-the-model-t

Two Fords Classic Car Commercial: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kmzlbkhyCJ4

Ford Fiesta Movement: https://hbr.org/2010/01/ford-recently-wrapped-the-firs

Ford Marketing Strategy: https://thebrandhopper.com/2023/10/17/marketing-strategies-and-marketing-mix-of-ford-motors/

Ford Model A: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c8K0EO-gwv8

Coinbase:

Interview with Kate Rouch (low marketing budget): https://fearlesscreativeleadership.com/fearless-episodes/3-95-kate-rouch

Interview with statements around low marketing spend: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kfxJY0UjfO8

Coinbase’s 2022 Superbowl commercial: https://variety.com/2022/tv/news/coinbase-crypto-super-bowl-commercial-qr-code-1235180678/

“Thank you” campaign: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q2CGBVTKl7M

“It’s time to update the system” campaign https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VEi7rub0jcs

Tesla:

Tesla Roadster – In their Own Words: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VQfHOqJtVZ8 and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U0EIAnXm3sQ

Family-themed ad for Asian market: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2R6-GhKSK74

Dog Mode: https://www.notateslaapp.com/tesla-reference/603/tesla-dog-mode-everything-you-want-to-know

Ticket Avoidance Mode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bn1uzAJk-6o

$0 advertising spend: https://medium.com/swlh/i-spent-30-days-figuring-out-exactly-how-tesla-pays-0-for-ads-but-stays-ahead-dedd02e48efc

Tesla starts advertising: https://www.wsj.com/articles/tesla-dives-into-advertising-after-years-of-resistance-87810a4b

Tesla’s pricing strategy: https://fortune.com/2023/05/13/tesla-prices-elon-musk-strategy/

Walmart:

Walmart’s first ad: https://www.businessinsider.com/walmarts-first-ever-ad-from-1962-was-absolutely-terrible-2012-3

Walmart Cheer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SEuFGSqweSo

Walmart’s Rollback Commercial: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WAbNusPliHk

Walmart Shuffle Music Commercial: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vb_418xm734

Walmart Black & Unlimited: https://www.niabolling.com/home/walmart-black-unlimited  and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=px5IA9jReks

“Spark Good” and community initiatives: https://walmart.org/what-we-do/strengthening-community

Lego:

Lego history: https://www.lego.com/en-us/history

Legoland: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hg73b5WoUq4

Lego advertisement from 1953: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/357402920399810612/

Lego introduction in American market: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0aGLzfZ3HJU

Lego ideas: https://ideas.lego.com/

Industry leader by brand value: https://www.statista.com/statistics/399131/value-of-the-leading-global-toy-brands/

Google:

2004 SEC filing: https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1288776/000119312505065298/d10k.htm

2008 SEC filing: https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1288776/000119312509029448/d10k.htm

2013 SEC filing: https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1288776/000128877614000020/goog2013123110-k.htm

Deals with Netscape and Yahoo: https://www.quora.com/How-did-Google-gain-its-initial-traction

Marissa Mayer at Web 2.0: https://glinden.blogspot.com/2006/11/marissa-mayer-at-web-20.html

Google’s 25 years best in search campaign: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3KtWfp0UopM

Google’s market share in search: https://www.statista.com/statistics/216573/worldwide-market-share-of-search-engines/

UPS:

UPS history: https://about.ups.com/us/en/our-company/our-history.html

UPS advertising history: https://www.nytimes.com/1982/11/16/business/advertising-united-parcel-tries-tv.html and https://www.encyclopedia.com/marketing/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/united-parcel-service-inc

1986 Plane washing commercial: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J4bdiVn6NYg

“We Love Logistics” Commercials: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=blmCXXgbYzM and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VCh6HnXHKRc

Annual report of 2000: https://investors.ups.com/sec-filings/all-sec-filings/content/0000931763-00-000749/10-K.txt

2004 SEC filing: https://investors.ups.com/sec-filings/all-sec-filings/content/0000950144-04-002063/g86647e10vk.htm

Sony:

Atchan – Sony boy figure: https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/vintage-sony-boy-atchan-marketing-1857502587

Sonny’s corporate history: https://www.sony.com/en/SonyInfo/CorporateInfo/History/SonyHistory/2-23.html

AirBnB:

Airbnb’s first TV advertisement (2013): https://www.theguardian.com/technology/video/2013/sep/20/airbnb-tv-ad-vine-video

‘Welcome to AirBnB’ advertisement (2014): https://hypebeast.com/2014/11/welcome-to-airbnb-ad-completely-handmade-and-shot-in-one-take-features-real-listings

AirBnB Bélo logo: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nMITXMrrVQU

2023 SEC filing: https://www.sec.gov/ix?doc=/Archives/edgar/data/1559720/000155972024000006/abnb-20231231.htm

2024 SEC filing: https://www.sec.gov/ix?doc=/Archives/edgar/data/1559720/000155972024000006/abnb-20231231.htm

Wall Street Journal interview: https://www.wsj.com/articles/airbnb-says-its-focus-on-brand-marketing-instead-of-search-is-working-11667506438

AirBnB Icons marketing strategy: https://www.reuters.com/business/airbnb-launches-new-global-marketing-strategy-ad-engagement-falls-flat-2024-05-01/

Toyota:

Toyota’s early advertising strategy: https://www.toyota-global.com/company/history_of_toyota/75years//data/automotive_business/sales/activity/japan/advertising/s10.html

Have you ever seen a broken-down Toyota commercial: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rzBdPr9Cbh8

Toyota Corolla – The Book commercial https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iT-jrDFgkq4, go from intern to CEO, anyone can drive it? or climb higher on the corporate ladder? Rising corporate professional

1960s Land Rover commercial: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-qdl1uvi6Bg,

Toyota Corona commercial “Building economy cars for 34 years”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EauH2ioJvJU

Toyota’s 2023 Annual Report: https://www.sec.gov/ix?doc=/Archives/edgar/data/1094517/000119312523179181/d360541d20f.htm

Netflix:

Netflix 2000s commercial: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ng7ETi7Q768

Netflix ends DVD rentals: https://edition.cnn.com/2023/09/28/tech/netflix-dvd-rental-movies-ending/index.html

Netflix House: https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/netflix-house

Inside accounts of Netflix’s marketing strategy, including that of Barry Enderwick: https://www.quora.com/In-the-early-days-what-was-Netflix-s-companys-marketing-strategy

Sign up funnel experiment https://research.netflix.com/publication/sequential-a-b-testing-keeps-the-world-streaming-netflix-part-2-counting

Netflix global expansion https://www.centuroglobal.com/blog/netflix-global-expansion-journey/

Marketing analytics and design choices in presentation of Netflix shows: https://netflixtechblog.com/discovering-creative-insights-in-promotional-artwork-295e4d788db5

Video search engine: https://netflixtechblog.com/building-in-video-search-936766f0017c

Adidas:

Adidas sponsoring Indian cricket team: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ZwCzKMqPrY

History of Adidas company and brand: https://www.adidassler.org/de/leben-und-werk/chronik

1998 commercial with David Beckham: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q7J1umXUpL4

1995 Emil Zatopek: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tE6wX5V_MGQ

2023 Annual Report https://report.adidas-group.com/2023/en/services/downloads.html

Visa:

Stearns, D.L. (2013). Electronic value exchange: origins of the visa electronic payment system. Springer London Ltd.

Visa advertisements from the 1960s to 2010s:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hn_qFCyUWps

Prodigies: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TvK7h5T_zzo, every step takes you closer (small steps matter, behind the scenes of success)

VISA 2023 Annual Report: https://s29.q4cdn.com/385744025/files/doc_downloads/2023/Visa-Inc-Fiscal-2023-Annual-Report.pdf

eBay:

AuctionWeb rebranding as ebay and ebay history: https://www.ebayinc.com/company/our-history/

Marketing myth around Pez dispensers: https://www.woot.com/blog/post/the-debunker-was-ebay-founded-as-a-way-to-trade-pez-dispensers-1

Dream Big, Save Big Campaign: https://adage.com/article/btob/ebay-makes-big-push-small-business-market/258614

The Power of All of Us Campaign: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q-b8ChDjxW4.

eBay Authenticity Guarantee advertisement: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3v8hL8mkfVc

That’s on eBay campaign: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VTOzrwcHigw

It’s on eBay commercial: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H-RkBisFV9k

Director’s Cat: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoHHKA1-1Cw

eBay parody song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YKtlK7sn0JQ

Siemens:

Siemens corporate history: https://www.siemens.com/global/en/company/about/history/company/1847-1865.html

Siemens commercial “Transform the everyday” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uIT02AZs5Is

Podcast Interview with Michael Sternberg https://content-marketing.com/podcast-siemens/

Transform the everyday campaign: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uIT02AZs5Is 

Event strategy https://www.siemens.com/global/en/company/fairs-events.html

Mergers and acquisitions as mentioned in Siemens’ annual report: https://www.siemens.com/global/en/company/investor-relations/events-publications-ad-hoc/annualreports.html

Nintendo:

History of Nintendo: https://www.nintendo.com/en-gb/Hardware/Nintendo-History/Nintendo-History-625945.html

Nintendo deal with Disney: https://web.archive.org/web/20180505151700/http://www.n-sider.com/contentview.php?contentid=34

Nintendo partnership with Sharp: http://blog.beforemario.com/2011/02/light-gun-games-kousenjuu-sp-and.html

Nintendo commercials from the 1980s and 1990s: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P9oDkQyzqkU

Mario and Sonic at the Olympic winter games, theme song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n3z99D18KkE&list=PLjyLjyXJQJUNiLt5c7kRkcW1bYztgsV1R&index=3

2023 Annual Report: https://www.nintendo.co.jp/ir/en/library/annual/index.html

Nintendo events: https://www.nintendo.com/us/events/

Honda:

Honda’s Asimo conducts Detroit Symphony Orchestra: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qRUyVCfFh1U

Commercial “Hands”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D1qpd-mwuaQ&list=PL158C73F075ACB197&index=37

The “Cog” commercial: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ve4M4UsJQo

“You meet the nicest people on a Honda” commercial https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ysmG_NfQVb0&list=PL158C73F075ACB197&index=37

“The best things happen on a Honda” commercial https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d1CuZRPM0Aw&list=PL158C73F075ACB197&index=1

Honda’s globalisation strategy: https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/how-honda-makes-globalization-work/2014/08/07/b84f16be-1cd0-11e4-ab7b-696c295ddfd1_story.html

Honda localisation of car names: https://topcontent.com/blog/localisation-blunders-honda-fitta/

Honda – Precious as Gold Advert: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Eg-_VjWVxY

Honda Civic – Choir TV advert https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UO5Was4Wf1k

Honda Garage Print Ad (1985): https://www.amazon.com/1985-Honda-Hondas-Garage-Print/dp/B00GIMWKSO

Honda Creative Studio: https://www.youtube.com/user/HondaStage/Music

Walt Disney:

The Rise of Disney: https://www.waltdisney.org/blog/selling-mickey-rise-disney-marketing

Disney’s marketing strategy: https://www.economist.com/graphic-detail/2015/12/16/disneys-world, https://archive.md/PoKFE#selection-751.0-751.152

The Wonderful world of Disney marketing: https://www.theceomagazine.com/business/marketing/disney-marketing/

Procter and Gamble:

Britannica entry with history of P&G: https://www.britannica.com/money/Procter-and-Gamble-Company

P&G SEC Filing 2023 Annual Report: https://www.pginvestor.com/financial-reporting/sec-filings/sec-filings-details/default.aspx?FilingId=17731057 or direct download from: https://d18rn0p25nwr6d.cloudfront.net/CIK-0000080424/2a783604-bb68-499d-b60d-6b12487f6f3b.html#PG-20240630_HTM_i7bd8f3ba7968484689c049bd46f89f7a_73)

P&G’s thorough marketing research: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/pg-way-marketing-excellence-richard-czerniawski

Harvard Business School Article about Market Research at P&G: https://hbswk.hbs.edu/archive/american-business-1920-2000-how-it-worked-pg-changing-the-face-of-consumer-marketing

“Everyday champions” campaign ft. Femke Bol: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oApXVC3ACZk

“These Hands” commercial: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WFBQqujWtQQ

Procter and Gamble Coupons Commercial (1978): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Pv2MUpLCMU

PayPal:

Early history of PayPal: https://commoncog.com/c/cases/paypal-idea-maze/

PayPal’s original business plan: https://www.alexanderjarvis.com/memo-paypals-original-business-plan/

Everywhere Campaign ft. Pharell Williams (2024): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7aQZ4pudpSk

PayPal UK Lightning Strikes Commercial (2014): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xoDG4GM5u5A&list=PLn8oQGNUVNKIcLAEKTyEpzH03svat2CSH&index=7

PayPal UK Options Commercial (2014): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xoDG4GM5u5A&list=PLn8oQGNUVNKIcLAEKTyEpzH03svat2CSH&index=7

PayPal’s 2007 holiday promotion: https://newsroom.paypal-corp.com/2007-11-06-paypal-Unwraps-Its-2007-Holiday-Promotions

PayPal’s 2024 Annual Report: https://www.sec.gov/ix?doc=/Archives/edgar/data/1633917/000163391724000024/pypl-20231231.htm

PayPal’s localised websites and international marketing: https://newsroom.paypal-corp.com/2008-11-18-PayPal-Expands-Its-Service-Around-the-Globe

Marriott:

Marriott founding date: https://museum.phideltatheta.org/historical-moments/first-marriott-hotel/

Marriott Brands: https://www.hotel-development.marriott.com/brands

Marriott’s history and brands: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PYv_93MHpv0

Marriott 2023 annual report: 2023 Annual Report: https://marriott.gcs-web.com/static-files/b82978a6-9d28-4e38-9855-fc4ae2cebe11

Marriott’s omnichannel media network: https://news.marriott.com/news/2022/05/16/marriott-international-introduces-travel-media-network-powered-by-yahoo

Marriott Bonvoy Loyalty programme: https://www.marriott.com/loyalty.mi

Two Bellmen movie: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZOgteFrOKt8

Two Bellmen Part II press release: https://news.marriott.com/news/2016/02/05/jw-marriott-hotels-resorts-and-marriott-content-studio-debut-short-film-two-bellmen-two

Marriott’s Golden Rule Campaign: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=62cs2M4L5k0

Heineken:

Heineken gentlemen’s beer: https://www.heinekencollection.com/en/stars-of-the-collection/heineken-gents

Heineken’s skywriting advertisement for the 1928 Olympics:https://www.heinekencollection.com/en/stars-of-the-collection/air-antics

Heineken’s 1960s beer commercial in the Netherlands: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vK4pOAqJaEY

Heineken Walk-In Fridge Commercial: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gjAZ5esOBZw

Heineken Beer Outdoor Transporter: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9gnYQsXk58o

Heineken’s 2015 guerilla marketing campaign: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2_QkAPd0f1M

Heineken’s iconic aluminium beer bottle: https://www.heinekencollection.com/en/stars-of-the-collection/dynamic-brand-design

Heineken’s 2023 annual report: https://www.theheinekencompany.com/our-company/our-2023-annual-report

Heineken media investment: https://www.theheinekencompany.com/newsroom/heineken-announces-a-new-creative-agency-model-with-publicis-groupe-and-the-consolidation-of-media-buying-with-dentsu/

Heineken responsible marketing code: https://www.theheinekencompany.com/sites/heineken-corp/files/heineken-corp/sustainability-and-responsibility/responsibility/heineken-responsible-marketing-code-final.pdf

Heineken Distribution partnership with Coca Cola:

https://www.theheinekencompany.com/newsroom/heineken-the-coca-cola-company-and-the-coca-cola-system-in-brazil-announce-redesigned-distribution-partnership

Nike:

Start of Nike: https://japantoday.com/category/features/japan-yesterday/how-phil-knight-used-japan-to-launch-nike-1

Nike’s history and performance marketing strategy: Interview with founder Phil Night: https://web.archive.org/web/20220624091034/https://hbr.org/1992/07/high-performance-marketing-an-interview-with-nikes-phil-knight

Nike appoints Mark Parker as CEO: https://investors.nike.com/investors/news-events-and-reports/investor-news/investor-news-details/2006/NIKE-Inc-Names-Mark-Parker-CEO-William-D-Perez-Resigns/default.aspx

Rationale behind Nike’s IPO: https://www.shortform.com/blog/nike-ipo-1980/

Nike patents: https://insights.greyb.com/nike-patents/

Niketown store: https://thinkdesignbuildblog.wordpress.com/2013/05/27/niketown-portlandpast-to-present/

Winning isn’t for everyone campiagn: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pwLergHG81c (Mercury in Capricorn) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Ra6wkIoJp0

Nike’s ambush marketing strategy at the 1996 Olympics https://www.itskm.me/post/high-octane-ambush-marketing

Coca Cola:

Coca Cola interactive vending machine: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3MnDAWlhegw

Coca Cola friendship oversized vending machine: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Pk07lQS3gs –

Coca Cola drinkable advertising campaign: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IQovoot_ZUM

1995 Christmas Caravan Commercial: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tuo7AJDwkko

History of Coca Cola’s Christmas trucks: https://www.coca-cola.com/au/en/media-center/history-of-coca-colas-christmas-trucks

2024 Holidays are Coming Created with AI: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4RSTupbfGog

Coca Cola Real Magic AI campaign: https://www.coca-colacompany.com/media-center/coca-cola-invites-digital-artists-to-create-real-magic-using-new-ai-platform

Coca Cola’s product placement in movies:

https://www.coca-colacompany.com/about-us/history/coca-cola-red-on-the-silver-screen

I’d Like to Buy the World a Coke commercial: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1VM2eLhvsSM

Interview with Manuel Arroyo (in Spanish): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v644kp3Ru_U

American Express:

American Express history: https://www.britannica.com/money/American-Express-Company

Product placement American Express: https://productplacementblog.com/tag/american-express/

1979 American Express Campaign “Don’t Leave Home Without it”:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=De_krPUP5Sg

American Express Campaign “Do you know me”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H-DdH8HVH7Q, Garfield and Jim Davis Classic Commercial: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AeVdtvwJlzo, and Tom Landry: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8do9Y1rwQeA

American Express Charity Marketing: https://postalmuseum.si.edu/exhibition/america%E2%80%99s-mailing-industry-industry-segments-financial-services-industry/american-express

1994 Winter Olympics Commercial – “You don’t need a VISA”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B2F9U4RWJZE

American Express vs. Visa – the credit wars: https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Journal/Issues/2023/06/12/Champions/ambush-marketing.aspx

American Express affiliate program: https://www.americanexpress.com/de-de/affiliate/partner-werden/

Membership rewards and payback program described in 2015 annual report (SEC filing) https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/4962/000119312516469798/d131774d10k.htm

Samsung:

Topped global TV market for 17^th consecutive year: https://www.samsung.com/uk/about-us/company-info/ – tell a vision (storytelling, product line).

Partnership with Casey Neistat, YouTube creators, film production: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JKpeIxh4ScY

The Next Best Thing Commercial: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GWnunavN4bQ

Samsung Quickdrive advertisement https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=izMr0fUtoIw and https://www.taylorherring.com/taylor-herring-create-first-tv-ad-for-samsung/

Samsung Quickdrive Feature Film: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4yuxV75pT6E

Samsung’s brand sounds: https://www.samsung.com/uk/about-us/brand-identity/sound/

Samsung at Twitchcon: https://news.samsung.com/global/samsung-hosts-playgalaxy-cup-at-twitchcon-san-diego-2024-to-showcase-best-in-class-mobile-gaming-performance-on-galaxy-devices

Samsung paralympic games: https://news.samsung.com/global/samsung-set-to-enhance-athlete-and-fan-experience-for-an-unforgettable-paris-2024-paralympic-games

Samsung at the IFA trade show press release: https://news.samsung.com/global/ifa-2024-samsung-reinforces-ai-for-all-vision-at-press-conference